A Twist on New Moon
by chattgirl4
Summary: There are a thousand little decisions that affect life; this story is about one of the big ones. After Bella's disastrous 18th birthday party, Edward is distraught - in the face of this kind of emotional upheaval, it's easy to imagine how things could have gone in a different direction. This is the story about how one Twist in their story changes everything. Bella's POV
1. Love, Life & Meaning

Chapter 1 - Love, Life & Meaning

A Twist on New Moon

A/N: The wonderful characters of Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer - I'm just playing with them.

(Starts on page 51 of NM)

…

"**Remember how I decided that I wanted you **_**not **_**to ignore my birthday?" I asked quickly, hoping it wasn't too clear that I was trying to distract him.**

"**Yes," he agreed, wary.**

"**Well, I was thinking, since it's still my birthday, that I'd like you to kiss me again."**

"**You're greedy tonight."**

"**Yes, I am – but please, don't do anything you don't want to do," I added, piqued.**

**He laughed, and then sighed. "Heaven forbid that I should do anything I don't want to do," he said in a strangely desperate tone as he put his hand under my chin and pulled my face up to his.**

**The kiss began much the same as usual - Edward was careful as ever, and my heart began to overreact like it always did. And then something seemed to change. Suddenly his lips became much more urgent, his free hand twisted into my hair and held my face securely to his. And, though my hands tangled in his hair, too, and though I was clearly beginning to cross his cautious lines, for once he didn't stop me. His body was cold through the thin quilt, but I crushed myself against him eagerly.**

I was sure that he would pull away soon, saying something about how my life had been risked enough for today. I pressed my body harder against him, and deepened the kiss before it was over.

But it didn't end. He responded enthusiastically, and kissed me with more passion than he had ever allowed himself to express with me.

Finally, I had to break away, gasping, and collapsed back onto my pillow, my head spinning. Edward didn't give me the chance to recover. He pressed his lips once again to mine, both his breathing and his touches slightly rougher now. He moved one of his hands from my hair to the small of my back, pressing me closer to him, and he shuddered the tiniest bit at my warmth. I kissed him back as my heart pounded out a jagged, disjointed rhythm, feeling his marble body against every line of mine.

Edward slipped his hand under the edge of my tank top, trailing his fingers lightly along my back. He seemed less guarded than usual, his mouth cold and urgent on mine. **Cold as ice, his tongue lightly traced the shape of my lips.**

**"Did you change your mind?" I asked breathlessly.**

"It _is_ your birthday," he murmured, and he kissed me again.

I started to get dizzy by the time he pulled back abruptly, but he didn't disentangle himself from my arms. Instead, he looked into my eyes and asked in a quiet, husky voice, "Are you sure?"

I was shocked that he was even considering what I thought he was considering, but I wasn't going to stop him. I couldn't remember how to speak, so I just nodded and pressed my lips to his again. His cool fingertips gently pressed into my skin as he swiftly pulled my shirt over my head, and I knew that there would be no turning back tonight.

* * *

The next morning I knew something was wrong. The second I woke up, Edward left, saying, "I'll see you at school." But he didn't leave before I noticed that his expression was all wrong.

I was afraid of the time I'd spent unconscious, afraid he might have been thinking of right and wrong again while he watched me sleep, afraid that he regretted what had happened last night. Anxiety seemed to ratchet up the intensity of the pounding in my head.

I got up, took a shower, and worried all the while that Edward was wallowing in some sort of misplaced angst. I noted vaguely that there was a small amount of dried blood on my thighs, and wondered how difficult it had been for him.

Edward was waiting for me at school, as usual, but his face was still wrong. There was something buried in his eyes that I couldn't be sure of, and it scared me. I didn't want to bring up last night - I was afraid of what he'd say - but I wasn't sure if avoiding the subject would be worse.

**We walked in silence, he shortening his stride to match mine. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but most of those questions would have to wait, because they were for Alice: How was Jasper this morning? What had they said when I was gone? What had Rosalie said? And most importantly, what could she see happening now in her strange, imperfect visions of the future? Could she guess what Edward was thinking, why he was so gloomy? Was there a foundation for the tenuous, instinctive fears I could not seem to shake?**

**The morning passed slowly. Alice usually beat us to lunch; she didn't have to keep pace with a sloth like me. But she wasn't at the table, waiting with a tray of food she wouldn't eat.**

**Edward didn't say anything about her absence. I wondered to myself if her class was running late - until I saw Conner and Ben, who were in her fourth hour French class.**

**"Where's Alice?" I asked Edward anxiously.**

**He looked at the granola bar he was slowly pulverizing between his fingertips while he answered. "She's with Jasper."**

**"Is he okay?"**

**"He's gone away for a while."**

**"What? Where?"**

**Edward shrugged. "Nowhere in particular."**

**"And Alice, too," I said with quiet desperation. Of course, if Jasper needed her, she would go. I swallowed, trying to dislodge the sudden lump in my throat. The guilt made my head bow and my shoulders slump. I'd run them out of their home, just like Rosalie and Emmett. I was a plague.**

Edward said nothing in response.

As he walked my silently to my truck at the end of the day, I asked, "You'll come over later tonight?" He always came over.

"Later?" He seemed surprised.

**"I have to work. I had to trade with Mrs. Newton to get yesterday off."**

**"Oh," he murmured.**

**"So you'll come over when I'm home though, right?" I hated that I suddenly felt unsure about this.**

"Not tonight."

I didn't think so.

I put my camera in my school bag before I left the next morning, having decided to make taking pictures my little project until Edward got over things.

When I got to school, it was apparent that he still hadn't gotten over it, and his detachment scared me.

**Along with the fear, I was beginning to feel impatience. How long could this last?**

**It lasted through the morning. He walked silently beside me, never seeming to actually look at me. I tried to concentrate on my classes, but not even English could hold my attention. Mr. Berty had to repeat his question about Lady Capulet twice before I realized he was talking to me. Edward whispered the correct answer under his breath and then went back to ignoring me.**

**At lunch, the silence continued.**I felt like I was going to start screaming, so I got out my camera and took a shot of Edward across from me. I was hoping to surprise him, maybe even force a little emotion out of him, but of course he saw it coming. I gave up with a sigh and leaned across the table's invisible line and spoke to Jessica.

**"Hey, Jess?"**

**"What's up, Bella?"**

**"Could you do me a favor?" I asked. "My mom wants me to get some pictures of my friends for a scrapbook. So, take some pictures of everyone, okay?" I handed her the camera.**

**"Sure," she said, grinning, and turned to snap a candid shot of Mike with his mouth full.**

**"Uh-oh," Jessica said apologetically as she returned the camera. "I think we used all your film."**

"That's fine - that's why I gave it to you."

Walking to my truck, Edward asked me, "Do you mind if I come over today?"

"Of course not."

He nodded, and walked over to his car. He beat me home, and was parked in Charlie's spot when I pulled in front of the house. That was a bad sign. He didn't plan to stay, then. I shook my head and took a deep breath, trying to locate some courage.

**"Come for a walk with me," he suggested in an unemotional voice, taking my hand.**

**I didn't answer. I couldn't think of a way to protest, but I instantly knew that I wanted to. I didn't like this.**_**This is bad, this is very bad**_**, the voice in my head repeated again and again.**

**We had only gone a few steps into the trees when he stopped. We were barely on the trail - I could still see the house.**

**Some walk.**

**Edward leaned against a tree and stared at me, his expression unreadable.**

**"Okay, let's talk," I said. It sounded braver than I felt.**

**He took a deep breath.**

**"Bella, we're leaving."**

**I took a deep breath, too. This was an acceptable option. I though****t I was prepared. But I still had to ask.**

**"Why now?**** Another year -"**

**"Bella, it's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty, and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd have to start over regardless."**

**His answer confused me. I thought the point of leaving was to let his family live in peace. Why did we have to leave if they were going? I stared at him, trying to understand what he meant.**

**He stared back coldly.**

**With a roll of nausea, I realized I'd misunderstood.**

**"When you say **_**we**_**-," I whispered.**

**"I mean my family and myself." Each word separate and distinct.**

**I shook my head back and forth mechanically, trying to clear it. He waited without any sign of impatience. It took a few minutes before I could speak.**

**"Okay," I said. "I'll come with you."**

**"You can't, Bella. Where we're going... It's not the right pace for you."**

**"Where you are is the right place for me."**

**"I'm no good for you, Bella."**

**"Don't be ridiculous." I wanted to sound angry, but it just sounded like I was begging. "You're the very best part of my life."**

**"My world is not for you."**

My head spun, trying to understand what made him look and act this way - what happened with Jasper just didn't seem that important after what we shared the other night**.** But my intuition told me that I was on to something, that Edward was wallowing on my disastrous birthday party.

**"What happened with Jasper - that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!"**

**"You're right," he agreed. "It was exactly what was to be expected."**

**"You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay-"**

**"As long as that was best for you," he interrupted to correct me.**

"This is about my soul, isn't it?" I asked, accusing, but it still sounded like a plea. "Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you - it's yours already! You have all of me, Edward, especially after what we shared! You should know that." I whispered the last part.

**He took a deep breath and stared, unseeingly, at the ground for a long moment. His mouth twisted the tiniest bit. When he finally looked up, his eyes were different, harder - like the liquid gold had frozen solid.**

**"Bella, I don't want you to come with me." He spoke the words slowly and precisely, his cold eyes on my face, watching as I absorbed what he was really saying.**

**There was a pause as I repeated the words in my head a few times, sifting through them for their real intent.**

**"You... don't... want me?" I tried out the words, confused by the way they sounded, placed in that order**

**"No."**

**I stared, uncomprehending, into his eyes. He stared back without apology. His eyes were like topaz - hard and clear and very deep. I felt like I could see into them for miles and miles, yet nowhere in their bottomless depths could I see a contradiction to the word he'd spoken.**

**He looked away into the trees as he spoke again. "Of course, I'll always love you... in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm... tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human." He looked back, and the icy planes of his perfect face were**_**not **_**human. "I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."**

I didn't know which thing he was referring to, but right then it didn't matter. Awareness began to seep through me, trickling like acid through my veins. "Don't." My voice was just a whisper now. "Don't do this." But I could see that it was far too late - he already had. I opened my mouth to say something, and then closed it again. **He waited patiently, his face wiped clean of all emotion. I tried again.**

**"If... that's what you want."**

He nodded once, and my whole body went numb - I couldn't feel anything below the neck.

**As I watched, his frozen eyes melted. The gold became liquid again, molten, burning down into mine with an intensity that was overwhelming.**

**"Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he ordered, no longer detached. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"**

**I nodded helplessly.**

**His eyes cooled, the distance returned. "I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself - for him."**

**I nodded again. "I will," I whispered.**

**"And I'll make you one promise in return," he said. "I promise that this will be that last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without anymore interference from me. It will be as if I never existed." He smiled gently. "Don't worry. You're human - your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind." He took a step away from me. "That's everything, I suppose. We won't bother you again."**

**The plural caught my attention. That surprised me; I would have thought I was beyond noticing anything.**

**"Alice is gone?" My voice blank with disbelief.**

"Yes. She wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you. In fact, they're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."

**I was dizzy; it was hard to concentrate. His words swirled around in ****my head, and I heard the doctor at the hospital in Phoenix, last spring, as he showed me the X-rays. **_**You can see it's a clean break**_**, his finger traced along the picture of my severed bone. **_**That's good. It will heal more easily, more quickly.**_

**I tried to breathe normally. I needed to concentrate, to find a way out of this nightmare.**

**"Goodbye, Bella," he said in the same quiet, peaceful voice. He leaned down, and pressed his lips very lightly to my forehead for the briefest instant. My eyes closed.**

**"Take care of yourself," he breathed, cool against my skin.**

**There was a light, unnatural breeze. My eyes flashed open. The leaves on a small vine maple shuddered with the gentle wind of his passage.**

**He was gone.**

**Love, life, meaning... over.**

I stumbled forward a few steps with shaky legs, the only thought in my mind to keep looking for him. Because if I stopped looking for him, it was over. I tripped on a root and fell, and I couldn't bring myself to get up again. **The waves of pain that had only lapped at me before now reared high up and washed over my head, pulling me under. **I fainted, but even in unconsciousness, the pain was there, refusing to be ignored.

When I regained consciousness, it was dark - no, it was black. **Was it always so dark here at night? Surely, as a rule, some little bit on moonlight would filter down through the clouds, through the chinks in the canopy of trees, and find the ground.**

**Not tonight. Perhaps there was no moon tonight - a lunar eclipse, a new moon.**

**A new moon. I shivered, though I wasn't cold.**I was on the edge of unconsciousness again when I heard someone shouting my name. I couldn't stay conscious long enough to answer.

(A/N: If there's something that you'd like to happen in the story, or an improvement to be made, include it in your review and I'll work on it. Tell me what you think!)

Also, a HUGE shout-out to my AMAZING beta **rchllve**! You're awesome! =D

~chattgirl4


	2. I'll Always Love You

**Chapter 2: I'll Always Love You**

A Twist on New Moon

A/N: The wonderful characters of Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer - I'm just playing with them.

For a week, I did not resurface from the ocean of pain I was drowning in. However, I did notice that my silence, my refusal to eat, and my obvious grief were hurting Charlie. _Take care of yourself – for him._ The remembered words hurt so much – I could feel the hole in my chest throbbing again, and the pain of it took my breath away. I gasped for air, and soon the act turned to sobbing.

Charlie knocked on my door. "Bells, are you okay in there?"

I used all of my energy to stop crying – nothing scared Charlie more than tears. I didn't answer right then, I couldn't.

He inched the door open and peeked in. Then he walked over and sat on the edge on my bed.

"**Bella?" Charlie asked.**

**I looked at him uneasily.**

"**He left you alone in the woods?" Charlie guessed.**

**I deflected the question. "How did you know where to find me?" My mind shied away from the inevitable awareness that was coming, coming quickly now.**

"**Your note," Charlie answered, surprised. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a much-abused piece of paper. It was dirty and damp, with multiple creases from being opened and refolded many times. He unfolded it again, and held it up as evidence. The messy handwriting was remarkably close to my own.**

**_Going for a walk with Edward, up the path_****, it said.****_Back soon, B_****.**

"**When you didn't come back, I called the Cullens, and no one answered," Charlie said in a low voice. "Then I called the hospital, and Dr. Grenady told me that Carlisle was gone."**

"**Where did they go?" I mumbled.**

**He stared at me. "Edward didn't tell you?"**

**I shook my head, recoiling. The sound of his name unleashed the thing that was clawing inside me – a pain that knocked me breathless, astonished me with its force.**

**Charlie eyed me doubtfully as he answered. "Carlisle took a job with a big hospital in Los Angeles. I guess they threw a lot of money at him."**

**Sunny L.A. The last place they would really go. I remembered my nightmare with the mirror… the bright sunlight shimmering off of his skin-**

**Agony ripped through me with the memory of his face.**

"**I want to know if Edward left you alone out there in the middle of the woods," Charlie insisted.**

**His name sent another wave of torture through me. I shook my head, frantic, desperate to escape the pain. "It was my fault. He left me right there on the trail, in sight of the house… but I tried to follow him."**

**Charlie started to say something; childishly, I covered my ears. "I can't talk about this anymore, Dad."**

Before he could answer, I scrambled up from my bed and lurch my way to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower, okay?" I called back.

In the bathroom, I peeled off my pajamas and looked at myself in the mirror. I was a mess - my hair was tangled and I had large, dark circles under my eyes. I sighed and looked away from the mirror.

I got into the shower, the hot water doing wonders for the knotted muscles of my back. I stayed in much longer than was necessary.

By the time I finally got out, the whole bathroom looked like a sauna. The air was thick with steam. When I wrapped my towel around me, I noticed that it, too, was damp. On my way out, I turned the fan on.

I felt slightly nauseous, and one of my hands found its way to my stomach. It felt different, wrong, somehow.

I closed the door to my room and yanked the towel out of the way.

**"Impossible," I whispered**, as I stared down at the small but defined bump sticking out between my hips.

Immediately, I knew that something was going on, and I had a pretty good idea as to what it was. **I had absolutely no experience with pregnancy or babies or any part of that world, but I wasn't an idiot.** **I twisted my torso back and forth, examining it from every angle, as if it would disappear in exactly the right light. I ran my fingers over the subtle bulge, surprised by how rock hard it felt under my skin.**

_No_, I thought to myself, rejecting the notion. _There is no way I'm__pregnant__._**_The only person I'd ever had sex with was a vampire, for crying out loud._**

I don't know how long I stood there, but eventually Charlie called up to me, "Bella, you hungry? I could order pizza."

"Okay. That sounds good." I said, hoping desperately that he couldn't hear the raw panic in my voice.

I grabbed a tank top and some cotton pajama bottoms from my dresser and pulled them on, then went back to the bathroom for a minute. I ran my hand across the mirror, clearing away some of the steam. I stared at my shocked eyes in the mirror, my fingers gingerly pressed against the swelling on my torso. And then the scene abruptly transformed. **Everything I saw in the mirror looked completely different, though nothing actually****_was_****different.**

**What happened to change everything was that a soft little nudge bumped my hand - from inside my body. In the mirror my expression was no longer bewildered - it was wondering now.**

There was a knock on the front door, and Charlie said, "Pizza's here, Bells. Come downstairs."

I couldn't form words at the moment, so I tore my gaze away from the mirror and went downstairs, trying to compose my face on the way.

Apparently I didn't do a very good job, because the first thing Charlie said after I got downstairs was, "Bella? Are you okay? You look like you need to lie down."

"I'm fine," I managed to say. Dinner was the usual quiet affair. In the moment that I felt the baby kick, a thousand possibilities had run through my mind. I lingered on them now, imagining a bronze-haired, green-eyed baby in my arms. As I thought about the future, I suddenly realized that I had to leave. It wouldn't be right involve Charlie in the danger that constantly plagued my life. And, of course, I'd noticed that I was _way_ too pregnant for normal circumstances, so if staying would inevitably raise questions from Charlie, along with anyone else who saw me, for that matter. But I still felt guilty not talking to Charlie, knowing now that I would be leaving him.

As I was washing the dishes in the sink, I said, "Dad? I think I'm going to go live with Mom."

"Why?" He asked, shocked.

I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant as I rinsed off the dishes. "There're just too many reminders here. I want to move on with my life, not dwell on the past." The words burned my mouth to say - because they were completely false - but it was the only way I saw for Charlie to let me go.

He said nothing for a long minute. "Yeah," he finally agreed, sadness apparent in his voice. "That's probably best."

I could see that it hurt him to say that. He felt like he had just gotten me back.

"So I'll pack tonight, and leave tomorrow, or maybe the day after." I was almost done drying the dishes now.

"So soon?" He asked.

I nodded, not sure what else I could say. Then I turned away from the sink and walked slowly up the stair, to my room. I reached into my closet and pulled out my old suitcase. Methodically, I went around my room and put all my possessions into the bag. It only took me twenty minutes, and everything I owned - or, at least, everything I would need - was crammed in and ready.

The next day was Saturday, so I didn't need to go to school. Early in the morning I put my luggage (if you could really call it luggage, seeing as there was only the one bag) in the passenger side of my truck and went back inside - I wasn't going to slink away at five in the morning like a coward, without giving Charlie one more good-bye.

At around seven Charlie came downstairs. I handed him the mug of coffee that I had made for him and said, "Take care of yourself, Dad, okay?" The words sounded eerily similar to what he had asked of me, by I pushed the thought aside. "I'll always love you, Daddy."

Then I hugged him tightly, kissed him on the cheek, and left.

(A/N: I cried when I wrote the good-bye scene with Charlie!)

~chattgirl4


	3. The Meaning of Time

**Chapter 3: The Meaning of Time**

A Twist on New Moon

A/N: The wonderful characters of Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer - I'm just playing with them. By the way, this is sort of a transition chapter...

For the next three weeks I drove up and down the highway, not sure where to go. At nights I would stay at motels, using my college fund to pay for my room, but I never stayed at the same place twice - I was getting big, fast, and I didn't want people to get suspicious.

I woke up that morning at a Motel 6, took a shower, got dressed. When I thought I was ready to go, I made sure that I had everything in my suitcase and checked out. Of course, being so obviously pregnant, some guy just _had_ to ask me, "Hey, honey. Where's the father?"

I pretended like I didn't hear him, and he snickered.

I got in my truck and started driving, looking for somewhere to eat breakfast. I was driving past a forest when I felt the baby kick, _hard_. It was so hard that I saw spots, so I decided to pull over (probably not the best idea to be driving when I can't see). I eased to the shoulder of the road and parked, making sure that my blinkers were flashing - an accident would definitely complicate things.

I needed to walk around - I was so stiff - so I got out of the cab and walked over to the trees. The baby kicked again, and I almost fell to my knees, it hurt so much. I walked farther into the trees, out of sight from the highway – I didn't want anyone stopping to see what was going on – and gripped a tree for support. When I looked up, I saw a fallen tree that was just the right height and shape for somewhere to sit. I sat down and leaned back, wishing and hoping the pain would stop soon.

No such luck. The baby kicked again, and this time it felt like it was trying to kick its way _out_ of me. All of a sudden, there was a searing pain just under my navel. I gasped and clutched my stomach. I heard a ripping that sounded like it was coming from _inside_ me, and before I had the chance to wonder what it was, it was made painfully clear to me. Looking down at my stomach, to where the pain was coming from, I saw a trail of blood rapidly growing into a river.

The smell reached me, and I felt like I was going to faint - or at least throw up. I was trying so hard to hold on to my consciousness. And I managed to, for a few seconds. Just long enough to feel the pain double, and to hear a cry.

**The pain was bewildering.**

**Exactly that - I was bewildered. I couldn't understand what was happening.**

**My body tried to reject the pain, and I was sucked again and again into a blackness that cut out whole seconds or maybe even minutes of agony, making it that much harder to keep up with reality.**

**I tried to separate them.**

**Non-reality was black, and it didn't hurt so much.**

**Reality was red, and it felt like I was being sawed in half, hit by a bus, punched by a prize fighter, trampled by bulls, and submerged in acid, all at the same time.**

**Reality was knowing there was something so much more important than all this torture, and not being able to remember what it was.**

**Reality had come on so fast.**

I could just barely hear something moving next to me, but I couldn't find it in myself to care at the moment.

The pain was beginning to dull, replaced by a numbness that was seeping through my body, exactly in time with the tempo of my very existence being pulled away from me. I almost welcomed non-existence - there would be no pain. Almost, but didn't. Now that the pain was dulling I could remember the one thing that was more important than all the suffering in the world - my child.

I fought to open my eyes, wanting to see him or her.

Finally, I succeeded.

He was beautiful, my son.

His hair was exactly the same color as his father's, his skin almost as pale and was still streaked in places with my blood. He smiled a shocking smile, his bright white, square little teeth showing behind his shell-pink lips. He leaned closer to me, pressing his warm lips to my neck for the briefest part of a second.

And then he bit me.

I felt some mild discomfort at first, which was followed by a burning.

**The burning grew - rose and peaked and rose again until it surpassed anything I'd ever felt.**

**All I wanted was to die. To never have been born. The whole of my existence did not outweigh this pain. Wasn't worth living through it for one more heartbeat.**

Somehow, through the fog the pain created, I noticed that something was leaning - no, _lying_ - against my side.

I wanted to scream; I knew I _could_ scream, but I did not. I wouldn't make my child hear the torture I was going through.

**And, for a never-ending space, that was all there was. Just the fiery torture and my soundless shrieks. Nothing else, not even time. So that made it infinite, with no beginning and no end. One infinite moment of pain.**

Gradually, time came to mean something.

**My head got clearer and clearer, and I could count the frantic, pounding beats of my heart to mark the time.**

**I could count the shallow breaths that gasped through my teeth.**

I could count the quiet, even breaths that came from close beside me. **These moved slowest, so I concentrated on them. They meant the passing of time.**

**Twenty-one thousand, nine hundred seventeen and a half breaths later, the pain changed.**

**On the good-news side of things, it started to fade from my fingertips and toes. Fading****_slowly_****, but at least it was doing something new. This had to be it. The pain was on its way out...**

**And then the bad news. The fire in my throat wasn't the same as before. I wasn't only on fire, but I was now parched, too. Dry as bone. So thirsty. Burning fire, and burning thirst...**

**Also bad news: The fire inside my heart got hotter.**

**How was that****_possible_****?**

**My heartbeat, already too fast, picked up - the fire drove its rhythm to a new frantic pace.**

**The fire retreated from my palms, leaving them blissfully pain-free and cool. But it retreated to my heart, which blazed hot as the sun and beat at a furious new speed.**

**My wrists were free, and my ankles. The fire was totally extinguished there.**

**My heart took off, beating like helicopter blades, the sound almost a single sustained note; it felt like it would grind through my ribs. The fire flared up in the center of my chest, sucking the last remnants of the flames from the rest of my body to fuel the most scorching blaze yet. My back arched, bowed as if the fire was dragging my upward by my heart.**

**It became a battle inside me - my sprinting heart racing against the attacking fire. Both were losing. The fire was doomed, having consumed everything that was combustible; my heart galloped toward its last beat.**

**The fire constricted, concentrating inside that one remaining human organ with a final, unbreakable surge. The surge was answered by a deep, hollow-sounding thud. My heart shuddered twice, then thudded quietly again just once more.**

**For a moment, the absence of pain was all I could comprehend.**

I opened my eyes, and was shocked by how _clear_everything was.

All of my senses were heightened - I could hear and see for miles, despite the foggy day. I could feel warmth at my side; I looked down.

There was my child, my son. I quickly sifted through names in my head.

Christopher. I decided. He looked like a Chris. Christopher Masen Swan.

(A/N: Sorry about the HUGE Breaking Dawn quote; I want this story to keep with the world that Stephenie Meyer created, and some things - like the pain from changing from human to vampire - just wouldn't change, even if the timing was different. Same goes for the kid. I tried to keep the basic characteristics of a vampire hybrid, but it _is _a different child.)

~chattgirl4


	4. Car Engines & Coffee Shops

**Chapter 4: Car Engines & Coffee Shops**

A Twist on New Moon

A/N: The wonderful characters of Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer - I'm just playing with them. And thanks for all the reviews! They really inspire me to keep going!

Chris was sleeping curled up against my side. He looked so beautiful, so innocent. I was right to have kept my screams inside.

I leaned down and pressed my lips to his forehead. He smelled good. But I knew I was in control. **The fragrance was perfectly balanced right on the line between the scent of the most beautiful perfume and the scent of the most delicious food. There was enough sweet vampire smell to keep the human part from being overwhelming.**

I picked him up - he fit perfectly in my arms, like they were made to hold him - and walked over to where I had left the truck; I didn't know how long the change had taken, so I could only hope that it was still there. I could run wherever I wanted to go, but I liked my truck and most importantly, I wanted Chris to have a soft, warm place to sleep.

I broke through the edge of the trees, and let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. My truck was still there, my keys still in the ignition. I opened the passenger side door and put Chris in, buckling the seat belt, even though I had the feeling he was more durable than a human. I wasn't willing to take any chances.

I breathed in, the scent inside the cab burning down my throat. _So__that's__what I smelled like_, I thought.

I was in the driver's seat now, and I started the engine. It roared loudly to life. I pulled back onto the road from the shoulder, driving north as fast as my truck would take me. It wasn't that I was in a hurry - it was just that with my new vampire senses, the truck seemed slower than ever. I tried pushing it over 55, and heard the engine threaten to give out. _At the next stop, I'll get a new engine put in_, I promised myself.

I passed a sign that said: Portland, Oregon - Exit 295 (11 miles)

Perfect.

It was 7 AM when I pulled into the gas station - thankfully, it was overcast, so I didn't have to hide out somewhere and wait for the sun to go away. Chris had been sleeping for the past hour, and being in no hurry to wake him up, I quietly eased the door shut – quite the feat, as it complained with the whine of metal on metal. (Even as a vampire, definitely not a pleasant sound.)

I walked inside the store and up to the counter, listening out for Chris.

"Do you know where I could buy a new truck engine?" I distractedly asked the man behind the counter, hearing my new voice for the first time.

"Up Highway 9, take a right onto Exit 12. Wright Brothers Autoshop will be the first road on the left," he said without looking up.

"Thank you."

I was just opening the door when I heard his head move, and then an intake of breath. He cursed quietly; I don't think I was intended to hear that.

"I-is there anything el-else that y-you n-need?" He stuttered.

I turned to smile at him. "No, thank you. You've been a great help." His eyes sort of glazed over, like he was in a trance. Guess I could dazzle people now, too. The thought reminded me of _him_, and made me sigh.

I followed the directions he gave me, and in fifteen minutes I pulled onto a dirt road marked by a hand-written sign to be Wright Brothers Autoshop. I parked and got out. Before I could make it inside, a man, who looked to be about in his early twenties, walked out of a garage, wiping his hands on a dirty, oil-covered rag.

He glanced up for half a second, then did a double-take, ogling at me. That would definitely take some getting used to. It occurred to me that he wasn't disgusted for frightened of me. That seemed strange, because newborns' eyes are red, like Laurent and Victoria's were. I hadn't had any animal blood, so the only blood left in my system was still my own. _Yes_, I decided. _My eyes should be bright red, terrifying_. But I hadn't seen them yet.

I shrugged off that train of thought and refocused on getting an engine.

"Can you help me?" I asked, barely fluttering my eyelids like I had done with Jacob all those months ago.

The man's opened even wider, and he gulped.

"What do you need help with, miss?" His voice shook, but at least he wasn't stuttering like the last guy.

I smiled. "My truck needs a new engine - the one I've got now sounds like it's about to die on me."

"We wouldn't want that... Is that it?" He asked, nodding towards it.

I nodded.

He lifted the hood and tinkered with a few things, poking around. "I think I have an engine on hand that will work. Give me a minute."

"Alright." I pulled out my checkbook while I was waiting for him to come back. I listened hard, curious as to what he would do next.

I heard a thrumming coming from the cab of my truck - Chris's heart - and, father away, the loud, steady, wet pumping of four human hearts. Venom pooled in my mouth and I swallowed. The thirst that I had easily ignored before came to the front of my mind; I forced it back. I noticed that my skin seemed to glimmer the slightest bit in the cloudy light. _Okay, Bella, no more listening until you go hunting_, I scolded myself. I didn't hear him walk up, so he startled me.

When I jumped a little, he apologized. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

There was something familiar about the way he said the words. I took a second to search my memory... It was the same way Mike and Eric and Tyler had spoken to me. The man was _flirting_, I realized.

"That's fine. I wasn't paying attention."

He smiled at me. "Are you going to be in town long?"

"Actually, I'm on my way to Seattle, and I'm kind of in a hurry. Sorry," I said, even though I felt anything but.

His face fell a little, and he looked down. "So... my brothers can change the engine right now. If you give me the key I'll drive it to the garage."

"Great. Just give me a second."

I walked around to the passenger side to get Chris out. When I picked him up, he woke up and opened his eyes. I had never seen them before, and the color shocked me. They were the color my eyes used to be, but with a small ring of green around the outside. He smiled at me, then snuggled into my chest, closing his eyes again.

When I walked back around the truck, the man peeked at me from the corner of his eyes. He didn't say anything about the fact that I had a baby, although his enthusiasm dimmed a little.

My new engine was so much better - it was quiet, and it actually let me go over fifty without putting up a fight. I decided to drive up to Seattle like I'd said I was. I figured it was a good place to go - if I wanted I could run down to Forks and watch Charlie, to see how he was doing. I was careful not to go more than five miles above the speed limit, and that was pushing it for me. I was the daughter of a police chief, after all. I was raised to abide by traffic laws, and that ingrained practice won out over my new, vampiric need for speed.

It took me a few hours to reach Seattle, but eventually I did. I used most of the remainder of my college fund to buy an apartment. Next item on my agenda: getting a job.

I drove down to the closest coffee shop, because, let's face it, it's Seattle, and picked up a job application. I sat down at table nearby, putting Chris (who was sitting in the baby carrier I had just bought for him) in the chair next to me, angling it so it faced me. I filled out the form, trying to make my tiny job experience seem adequate, but also knowing that I was not above using my recently enhanced looks to land me the job.

I was finished with the form in less than five minutes, so before getting up I scanned the room for my 'victim.' Over at the cash register was a man who looked to be in his late-thirties, wearing a nametag that said: Steven - Manager.

I got up and walked the ten feet to stand in front of him, all the while watching Chris out of the corner of my eye - so far he'd been fine, but he was half-vampire and I didn't want a supernatural scene. Maybe I should have waited until I knew more about how humans affected him before I came here. I refocused my attention on Steven - I needed this job; there wasn't much left in my college fund - and cleared my throat.

He looked up and his eyes bugged out. This was starting to really get on my nerves.

I smiled at him anyway, and held out my form.

"Do you still have a job opening?" I asked softly.

He nodded, clearly dazed. "Y-yes. But it's the n-night shift."

"That's perfect." It really was - that way even on sunny days my job wouldn't be affected. Though it did make me wonder… (Who drinks coffee at night?)

"A-alright. Ummm... C-come back tonight a-at... at seven."

"I will. Thank you." I walked over to Chris and picked up his carrier. "Oh," I said, turning around. "Is it alright if I bring my son? I don't have a babysitter."

He nodded. "Yes. O-our employees do that all t-the time."

I turned and left, getting back into the truck and driving to my new apartment.

It was furnished with a couch, some bar stools behind the counter, a bed in the bedroom. I sat down on the couch, pulling Chris out of his carrier and holding him against my chest. My life had changed so much in the last month. Even more so in the last two days; I felt like a different person. Different, but still the same. I still loved my truck; I was still shy - even if I didn't act like it.

Between my thoughts and Chris, I lost track of time. By the time I looked up, it was 6:51. I had nine minutes to get to work. I rushed to my truck, grabbing my keys and Chris's carrier on the way.

I buckled him in and gunned it. I was never so thankful for the new engine.

I walked through the doors of the coffee shop as the clock changed from 6:59 to 7:00.

"You're right on time," Steven said.

(A/N: Yes, Bella is a waitress at a coffee shop in Seattle. I thought that would be a good place for her to get used to being around humans, and get used to her vampire abilities - basically get used to not being a klutz. I also realize that there was not much mother-son/Bella-Chris bonding in this chapter, but this chapter wasn't really about Chris as much as it was about Bella and how different people's reactions are to her now that she's a vampire... Did you notice how Steven didn't even look at her application? Also, the fact that Bella's truck was still there after a few days - what does it say about society, I wonder? Just a thought… I know throwing the bit about her skin seems kind of random, but I promise it was thoroughly considered.)

~chattgirl4


	5. Welcome to Forks

Chapter 5: Welcome to Forks

**A/N: I want - scratch that, NEED - to thank my beta, rchllve, for all of her hard work and support throughout the writing of this story (and I'm not done yet!). She has done an AMAZING job, and I'd like to put it out there that last night she emailed me with EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER EDITED. I was in shock. Amazed shock. I have the best beta out there, and reserve bragging rights!**

**For those of you who have read this story from the start (or even just from before the edits - aka clean-up), I know you'll see the difference. Everything hasn't changed, it wasn't like that, but there have been little changes and additions here and there that, I think, make for a better read. I hope you agree!**

**I promise that Edward will come into the story, but right now there's not really a place for him - it would give the story a too fairy-tale-perfect quality/ending, and Bella's life has never been perfect, so it just wouldn't fix. Plus, we all know that in New Moon, Edward manages to stay away for seven months (and in this chapter it's only been about five) so he's not coming into the picture just yet... BUT HE WILL!**

_(A few months later...)_

"Hey, Bella! Where's Chris? You haven't brought him over in forever," Christi said.

I hadn't brought Chris to work with me since my first day - exactly four months and five days ago - but by then everyone had fallen in love with his beautiful eyes and adorable smile (teeth carefully hidden).

"Yeah, I know. Sorry... He's visiting his Grampa," I lied. In reality, Chris was at the apartment waiting for me to get home. So we could hunt.

"Oh, that's great!" Christi gushed. "I remember when I was little, I loved seeing my grandparents!"

I nodded, smiling at her. I felt a little guilty lying to Christi - she was a good friend to me - but I knew I had to, both for her safety, a, nd for my little family's.

"Have you seen Steven?" I asked.

"He's in the back, doing inventory or something. Why?"

"Well, I'm actually moving in a few weeks, and I need to let him know so he can start looking for someone to fill my position."

"Oh, Bella! We're all going to miss you so much! You're the life of this place!"

"Thanks," I mumbled, looking down, truly touched by her words. "I'll be right back."

I walked through the door into the stock room. "Steven?" I called, even though I could hear his heart beating perfectly fine from ten feet away. It was what a human would do.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I'm moving." I leaned against the doorframe, letting my melancholy at leaving show in my expression – these people had been good to me and Chris.

He looked a little crestfallen. "Oh... Alright... When?" He asked in a defeated tone. "Knew she would get snatched up sometime," he mumbled under his breath.

"Next week," I said, mentally moving up the date. I kind of wanted to go back to Forks, see Charlie again. With Chris' power, I wouldn't need to hide - even in the sunlight - and Charlie wouldn't notice the difference in me. . Chris needed to meet his grandfather... eventually.

I thought about Charlie some more as I walked home - at human speed, of course. Remembering how heartbroken he had looked when I left, even though it was a cloudy, human memory, I got a lump in my throat.

"Momma?" Chris looked over at me from his car seat - not that he needed it, safety-wise.

"What is it, baby?"

"Will you tell me about Daddy now?"

I knew that he would ask me some time - what child wouldn't be curious about his or her parents? I considered putting this off again, like I had the last time he'd asked me. But Chris deserved to know. My hesitation was less than a quarter of a second, but I knew he noticed.

"Yes. What do you want to know?" Please don't say 'everything', I thought to myself.

Chris considered for a moment. "What did he look like?"

"What does he look like," I corrected him. I hadn't lied to him and said that he was dead - actually dead - like some other single mothers do to their kids. Chris could handle the truth. "He looks a lot like you... or actually, you look a lot like him. Your hair is exactly the same color... And your face is definitely his - except your blush, and your eyes."

"What color were – I mean, are his eyes."

"They're normal for a vegetarian vampire - golden, darkening the longer he goes without hunting." You can do this, you can do this, I chanted in my head.

"What is he like?"

"Are you asking about his personality... or what he likes to do?"

"Either one. Both." I almost groaned.

"How about I answer one now, and one after we get to Forks?" I knew I had only healed so much, could only handle so much.

"Okay," he grumbled. He was so stubborn - just like his father. I decided to start there.

"He could be stubborn - extremely so - but... I guess it was more protective..." I was beyond struggling for words at this point. "I can't really describe it... He's... Edward." It felt good to say him name - almost healing - but it still hurt. My breath caught in my chest, and I fought to let it out.

I did, jaggedly, and Chris could tell that I didn't want to talk about him anymore. "Will you tell me about Charlie?"

"Of course, honey. He's the police chief, he likes to fish... a lot." I smiled, remembering. "He's quiet, and he watches a lot of sports. He can't cook to save his life... He doesn't believe in vampires, although Billy - his best friend, I guess - does..."

"Why does Billy believe?"

"Well, he's Quileute Indian, and the legend of his tribe is that they're descended from wolves - making them werewolves. And, according to legend, they only have one enemy."

"Vampires?" He sounded uneasy at the thought.

"Right."

It had always been like this between us - the open questioning. There wasn't really any topic that was off-limits. Just then, we passed the old, worn sign reading 'Welcome to Forks'.

"Chris, like always, you-"

"-can't talk in front of anyone but you, I know." I just smiled at him, my smart little boy.

**A/N: Just to clear things up for next chapter: Chris's power is NOT the same as Renesmee's power, because they are not the same child. And SPOILER ALERT! ****Chris's power is EXTREMELY STRONG/powerful*** (or at least I think so...) Please keep up the reviews - they really inspire me to keep writing.**

**And if there's something you'd like to happen in the story/a suggestion for a character/etc... Feel free to put those in your reviews!**

~chattgirl4


	6. Pizza & Power

Chapter 6: Pizza and Power

**A/N: Once again, I worship at rchllve's feet. You're the BEST!**

"Bella?" Charlie squinted in the darkness, then blinked several times.

"Hi Dad."

Charlie's eyes darted to my truck behind me. He couldn't see Chris from where he was, just that the back was full of stuff.

"Are you coming back?" He asked me quietly, but of course I heard. Just because I looked human right now didn't mean that I lost any of my enhanced abilities. Well, not really. I didn't smell Charlie's blood, but I could still smell everything else. I feel so human - Chris' ability made it so much easier to blend in, and to control my thirst.

"I think so."

His eye-crinkling smile lit up his face for an instant, then he seemed to remember something that made his face fall. Just a little bit - human eyes wouldn't have seen the change, but I saw it.

"Come on in, kiddo."

As soon as I was inside, Charlie reached behind me and closed the door. "Let's sit down," he said, with an uncomfortable edge to his voice.

I followed him to the couch and sat down. He sat next to me. "Bella," he began. "How much do you know about the Cullens?"

Well, that was blunt. I decided to try to sidestep the minefield with mock-innocence. "What do you mean?"

"Well... you see... Billy told me that Jacob talked to you when you went to the beach. He said Jake told you some of the tribe's legends..."

"So?" I asked, hoping I had the right expression - I was never a good liar.

Charlie was silent for a long moment. "Bella… I know."

'I know.' Those words echoed in my head. There could only be one meaning, the way he said them - he knew what the Cullens were.

"You know?"

He nodded, somber. "I've known for over two months now. And Jake says you've known for over a year." I didn't miss that quiet outrage in his voice.

"I knew pretty much right after I moved here," I admitted in a whisper. Stupid, I screamed at myself. Why did you just tell him that? "Okay... so... ummm... Do you want dinner?" Nice, Bella. Way to change the subject subtly. Not.

"I ordered a pizza. Pepperoni," Charlie said awkwardly.

"Sounds good. I'll just... get my stuff out of the truck."

"I'll help you."

_Oh, no. He'll see Chris._ "You know what, I think I've got it. Thanks, though."

"I have to check the mail anyway. I'll come with you."

_Well, here goes nothing._ "Um... Dad? There's something I have to tell you. You may want to sit down."

I could feel his eyes boring into me as he sank back onto the couch, and vampire or not, there was no way I was brave enough to meet his gaze. "See, Dad... I... ummm..." Crap.

"Can you hold on a minute?"

"Sure, Bella." Charlie looked very confused.

"I'll be right back." With that, I briskly walked out the front door (considered screaming... decided against it) over to my truck. I hesitated before opening the passenger side door and said, "Hey, Chris. Your Grampa's inside. Are you ready to meet him?"

Chris' eyes were saying that I was a coward - which I really was being right now - but he nodded. As I picked him up, he whispered, "No talking, right?"

"Well, no talking until I say it's okay," I whispered back. I could hear Charlie's heartbeat in the other room as I walked through the front door, and was surprised he hadn't moved. Hopefully, having Chris in the room would tone down Charlie's reaction to the news.

"Dad?" I called out. I heard him getting up, so I sped up to be in his line of sight. I wanted him close to the couch in case he fainted or something. "Meet your grandson. Chris, this is your Grampa." Charlie looked staggered. "Don't talk, okay?" I murmured under my breath to Chris. He looked at me and nodded.

Charlie fell silent for several minutes. Chris started to fidget, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. They both glared at me; Charlie for being stupid or something, probably, and Chris for using him as a shield. It looked like I would be the one to speak first here. I leaned down and kissed Chris' forehead. "Dad? You might as well let it all out now..."

"How old is he?" Charlie asked very quietly.

"Five months." At this, I saw pain, anger, sadness, confusion, and so many other emotions fly across Charlie's face, but confusion quickly became the dominant emotion.

"He doesn't look five months old."

"And a few days?" I added, sounding hopeful but also cornered. I hated that even now, a vampire, I was afraid of what he would say. But I was.

Charlie shook his head. "Bella, tell me what happened - the truth this time. Please."

I sighed, leaning back farther into the couch, and prepared for a long conversation.

"Where should I start?"

I told Charlie everything - about finding out I was pregnant, about staying in the hotels, Chris' birth and being changed into a vampire. Basically, I covered all the important stuff. Or so I thought.

"But where were you? After Chris was born?"

"I went to Seattle."

"And what were you doing all this time?" The subtle outrage was back in his voice, but it made no sense to me. What had upset him?

"I got a job in a coffee shop."

"You couldn't have come home?" So this was why he was mad.

"Dad? I was - am - a vampire. And at the time I didn't know if I had enough self-control to be around humans 24/7. I didn't want to risk it."

Charlie visibly calmed. "Oh... yeah... I guess it was foolish of me to be upset."

"It's okay."

"So you're a vampire?"

I nodded.

"But you don't look like the Cul- like a vampire, Bella."

"I know. It's Chris' power."

"He has a power? What, to make you not look like a vampire?"

"Basically," I hoped he would accept that answer and not push it. Chris' power made being a vampire an enticing idea, and I didn't want my dad to have the same life I had. I didn't regret anything that happened to me, but I wanted better for my dad.

"The pizza was good, Dad," I said. It was the first time I'd had pizza since I'd been changed.

"How can you eat that?" Charlie asked me, looking incredulous.

"Chris' power. When I'm like this I can eat human food, sleep if I want to, that kind of stuff. But I can't stay like this all the time." I really hoped I wasn't making vampirism sound appealing...

"Oh."

"Yeah... so... I'll just put Chris to bed." I still hadn't told Charlie that Chris could talk, and I needed to - a shock as big as a five month old talking to you in the middle of dinner was enough to give humans a heart attack, which was not a good thing.

**A/N: If you have any suggestions/things that you'd like to happen in the story, include it in your reviews and I'll consider it - but I can't really promise that it'll be in the story. Also, if there's any scene that you'd like me to write from Edward's perspective, I'll give it a try... And when I finish this I might write at least some and if not all of this story in EPOV.**

~chattgirl4


	7. Unexpected Discoveries

Chapter 7: Unexpected Discoveries

**A/N: As always, the characters of Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer - I just covet them. **

"Dad? Chris and I are going out to get dinner. We'll be back later."

"'Kay," Charlie answered from his spot on the couch, remote in hand.

Chris and I got in my truck and pulled out onto the road.

"Momma, I'm thirsty. Can we hunt while we're out?"

"Sure," I answered. I wasn't thirsty at the moment, but I knew I would be the moment I let Chris's power drop.

Then I remembered - Chris had been asking about his dad lately. Not a lot, but I know he's curious.

"We could hunt around the Cullens' old house and then drop inside. What do you think?" I felt a little uncomfortable about breaking and entering – not matter what happened, I was still the Police Chief's daughter – but no one was there, so no one would mind. That's what I kept telling myself.

"Really?" Chris' whole face lit up.

"Yeah," I managed to smile.

I pulled into the Cullens' driveway, planning on leaving the truck in the garage. As I rounded a slight turn, I saw lights. Clearly, someone was here.

"Chris, stay in the truck," I said softly, fighting not to let my nerves show.

He nodded solemnly, but his eyes were bright.

I got out and made my way quickly to the side of the garage. I heard someone fiddling with a radio, switching stations every few seconds.

The person stopped when they heard 'Thriller.'

"Not that song again, Emmett! Please! That's the fifth time in a row that you've played it!" An extremely familiar voice groaned. When the song didn't stop or change, it said, "Don't make me come over there, Emmett!"

"Rose, I don't think I'd mind if you did come over here," Emmett answered, the innuendo clear in his voice.

"I can guarantee that if I have to, you won't enjoy it. At all." Her voice was closer to a growl now, threatening.

"C'mon, Rose," he whined.

No way.

I peeked through the window and in one brief part of a second, my mind catalogued the room - Emmett leaned against the wall, his hand extended towards a stereo similar to the one they had given me for my eighteenth birthday; a pair of perfect legs stuck out from under a red convertible, belonging to Rosalie, with tools spread out all around. I gasped.

Emmett's head snapped up and a hiss escaped his mouth. Rosalie shot out from under her car, her eyes darting around the room. Emmett took a step that placed him protectively in front of Rosalie and leaned into a crouch.

"Whoa! Relax!" I said, darting into the garage. "It's just me."

"Bella?" Emmett looked incredulous.

"Hey, Emmett," I replied quietly.

"Bella!" He exclaimed laughing, and using vampire speed to run over to me, enveloping me in a huge bear-hug that lifted my feet off the ground. "You're not very warm," he noted. I laughed and hugged him back, using my full strength for once.

Emmett winced. "Not so hard, Bella," he chastised me. Then his eyes widened. "How did you hug me so hard?"

"Was it really that hard?" I asked, a little guilty. I didn't want to hurt him.

He nodded, seeming confused. He set me down and took a step back, placing his hands on my shoulders, as if to get a better look at me.

"Do you want me to tell you the difference?" I guessed where his thoughts were heading.

"You're paler than I remember, and not as warm." True, my temperature was different – I'd been in the truck with the heat on... Actually making me warmer than usual. I waited for him to continue.

"You're strong. I'd say you were a vampire, but you can't be - your eyes are still the same as they always were."

His forehead was scrunched up and he looked like his head was starting to hurt, as if this was a never-ending riddle, so I said, "Emmett, I am a vampire."

"But your eyes brown?" Rosalie asked, but the way she said it was curious and confused, not haughty or unkind. It was the first time she'd spoken to me directly.

I looked over to Rosalie and she didn't look hostile. Hiding my shock, I shrugged, saying, "I don't know. They've never been red or golden, even when I was first changed."

I turned my attention back to Emmett, feeling awkward. "Hey Emmett, can you check out my stereo - it's been acting up lately." I knew my voice sounded off, as it always did when I lied, but I didn't think they would be overly concerned. I really wanted Chris to meet Emmett, and now seemed like the perfect time for it to happen.

"No problem." Emmett zipped out of the garage toward the driveway, a huge smile plastered to his face.

I followed at a human pace. Rosalie walked next to me. "Bella? Can we talk?"

"Sure." I looked over at her and smiled timidly, waiting.

"What happened?" She asked me, her voice soft and hesitant.

"Well..." I started to say, pausing for just a second to order my thoughts.

Then - "What the hell?" Emmett exclaimed. I knew he had seen Chris, so I ran over to my truck. Rosalie didn't seem very interested and continued at a human pace.

"Is he-" Emmett started to ask. But I could already tell what the question would be.

"-Yes," I cut him off. He nodded, looking serious. The expression looked strange on his face, like it didn't fit - Emmett was almost always smiling.

"Rose!"

As soon as he called her name, she was there. "What?"

She glanced at him. Then she noticed Chris sitting in the passenger side.

"Oh my God," she whispered, barely audible even with my enhanced hearing.

**A/N: (Please go to my profile page and tell me what you think I should work on when I finish ''Twist'') How did you like that chapter? I wanted it to explain things that I had [purposely] left out of previous chapters, like Chris' power. If you still have questions, PM me or you could just review...**

*** * *Thanks to readingchick10 for her suggestion to put a Cullen in the story now - I hope you like where I went with it!* * ***

**If you have any questions about why something is the way it is, PM me, etc... And I'll be happy to try to clear it up...**

**Suggestions/criticism is ALWAYS welcome (but I do REALLY enjoy normal reviews, too!)**

**Also, if there's a demand for it, I could find a way to put the 'end' of the last scene in the next chapter, so... So click on the big green button!**

~chattgirl4


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm really sorry this took so long - I had LOTS of computer problems... Anyway, this isn't perfect, but I can always fix it later. I just knew that it would be a long time before I have a computer of my own again, so I'm updating now so you know what happens in the story. Enjoy!

**"Oh my God," she whispered, barely audible even with my enhanced hearing.**

She stared in disbelief for several minutes, and as each minute went by, I became more and more anxious.

After Rosalie recovered from her shock, she asked questions quietly for a while, then I excused Chris and myself to go hunting. She only allowed us to leave after I promised to come back later, after we checked in with Charlie - I never kept Chris out overnight, even though he technically doesn't need to sleep every night. I liked the normal-quality of it, that Chris could have a routine and a childhood.

While Chris slept on the way home, Rosalie and Emmett ran beside the truck, talking quietly - sometimes to me, but mostly to each other. I picked up on the fact that Rosalie had a strange reaction when Emmett mentioned 'children,' but he seemed used to it. I was missing an important piece of backgorund information, but I wasn't going to pry to find out.

I told Rosalie and Emmett that they could come in, and Emmett readily agreed, but Rosalie was more cautious about the situation.

"Won't Charlie mind? I wouldn't think he'd like us very much anymore," she asked.

"He's asleep."

Rosalie nodded, and came in.

Rosalie hesitated in the doorway before coming in, her breathtaking face unsure. "Can I hold him?" she asked.

"Sure," I answered her, handing over my sleeping child.

She studied him as he slept, every so often running her fingers through his hair, or touching his little rose-colored cheeks and sighing.

"He looks so like you," she whispered, pain evident in her voice.

"Rosalie, what's wrong?"

"Even when I was human, I yearned for my own little baby..." Her voice trailed off. "…But now's not the time for that story," she said, glancing back down at Chris. "Bella? I know this isn't fair, especially since I haven't told you my story, but…"

Rosalie paused, either struggling for words or simply uncomfortable with the question. But I'd gotten the gist of it.

"I'll tell you mine," I whispered.

**_So I told her – everything. Just like with Charlie, only she already knew I was a vampire._** "So that's my story. Well… Our story, actually," I finished, looking at Chris' sleeping form.

"My turn? It doesn't have a happy ending - if it did, I'd be under a gravestone now."

I shuddered at the phrase. "Rosalie, I didn't tell you so you'd feel obligated to tell me yours," I said, grasping at any chance to make her hate me less.

"I want to." Rosalie took a second to collect her thoughts. **"I lived in a different world, Bella. My human world was a much simpler place. It was nineteen thirty-three. I was eighteen, and I was beautiful. My life was perfect."**

She stared out the window, her expression far away.

**"My parents were thoroughly middle class. My father had a stable job in a bank, something I realize now that he was smug about - he saw his prosperity as a reward for talent and hard work, rather than acknowledging the luck involved. I took it all for granted then; in my home, it was as if the Great Depression was only a troublesome rumor. Of course I saw the poor people, the ones who weren't as lucky. My father left me with the impression that they'd brought their troubles on themselves.**

**"It was my mother's job to keep our house - and myself and my two younger brothers - in spotless order. It was clear that I was both her first priority and her favorite. I didn't fully understand at the time, but I was always vaguely aware that my parents weren't satisfied with what they had, even if it was so much more than most. They wanted more. They had social aspirations - social climbers, I suppose you could call them. My beauty was like a gift to them. They saw so much more potential in it than I did.**

**"They weren't satisfied, but _I_ was. I was thrilled to be me, to be Rosalie Hale. Pleased that men's eyes watched me everywhere I went, from the year I turned twelve. Delighted that my girlfriends sighed with envy when they touched my hair. Happy that my mother was proud of me and that my father liked to buy me pretty dresses.**

**"I knew what I wanted out of life, and there didn't seem to be any way that I wouldn't get exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be loved, to be adored. I wanted a huge, flowery wedding, where everyone in town would watch me walk down the aisle on my father's arm and think I was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen. Admiration was like air to me, Bella. I was silly and shallow, but I was content." She smiled, amused at her own evaluation.**

**"My parents' influence had been such that I also wanted the material things of life. I wanted a big house the elegant furnishings that someone else would clean and a modern kitchen that someone else would cook in. As I said, I was shallow. Young and very shallow. And I didn't see any reason why I wouldn't get these things.**

**"There were a few things I wanted that were more meaningful. One thing in particular. My very closest friend was a girl named Vera. She married young, just seventeen. She married a man my parents would never have considered for me - a carpenter. A year later she had a son, a beautiful little boy with dimples and curly black hair. It was the first time I'd ever truly felt jealous of anyone else in my entire life."** Her voice drifted off as she spoke that last few words.

She glanced up from Chris' face, her eyes unfathomable. "Like I said, I yearned for my own little baby," she sighed. **"I wanted my own house and a husband who would kiss me when he got home from work - just like Vera. Only I had a very different kind of house in mind..."**

**Rosalie sighed, and when she spoke again her voice was different, the wistfulness gone.**

**"In Rochester , there was one royal family - the Kings, ironically enough. Royce King owned the bank my father worked at, and nearly every other really profitable business in town. That's how his son, Royce King the Second" - her mouth twisted around the name, it came out through her teeth - "saw me the first time. He was going to take over at the bank, so he began overseeing the different positions. Two days later, my mother conveniently forgot to send my father's lunch to work with him. I remember being confused when she insisted that I wear my white organza and roll my hair up just to run over to the bank." Rosalie laughed without humor.**

**"I didn't notice Royce watching me particularly. Everyone watched me. But that night the first of the roses came. Every night of our courtship, he sent a bouquet of roses to me. My room was always overflowing with them. It got to the point that I would smell like roses when I left the house.**

**"Royce was handsome, too. He had lighter hair than I did, and pale blue eyes. He said my eyes were like violets, and then those started showing up alongside the roses.**

**"My parents approved - that's putting it mildly. This was everything they'd dreamed of. And Royce seemed to be everything I'd dreamed of. The fairy-tale prince, come to make me a princess. Everything I wanted, yet it was still no more than I expected. We were engaged before I'd known him for two months.**

**"We didn't spend a great deal of time with each other. Royce told me he had many responsibilities at work, and, when we were together, he liked people to look at us, to see me on his arm. I liked that, too. There were lots of parties, dancing, and pretty dresses. When you were a King, every door was open for you, every red carpet rolled out to greet you.**

**"It wasn't a long engagement. Plans went ahead for the most lavish wedding. It was going to be everything I'd ever wanted. I was completely happy. When I called at Vera's, I no longer felt jealous. I pictured my fair-haired children playing on the lawns on the huge lawns of the Kings' estate, and I pitied her."**

**Rosalie's voice broke off suddenly, clenching her teeth together. It pulled me out of her story, and I realized that the horror she'd promised was not far off. I wondered if this was why she had so much more bitterness in her than the rest of them - because she'd been within reach of everything she'd wanted when her life was cut short.**

**"I was at Vera's that night," Rosalie's whispered. Her face was smooth as marble, and as hard. "Her little Henry really was adorable, all smiles and dimples - he was just sitting up on his own. Vera walked me to the door as I was leaving, her baby in her arms and her husband at her side, his arm around her waist. He kissed her on the cheek when he thought I wasn't looking. That bothered me. When Royce kissed me, it wasn't quite the same - not so sweet somehow... I shoved that thought aside. Royce was my prince. Someday, I would be queen."**

Her already bone-white face paled in the moonlight.

**"It was dark in the streets, the lamps already on. I hadn't realized how late it was." She continued to whisper almost inaudibly. "It was cold, too. Very cold for late April. The wedding was only a week away, and I was worrying about the weather as I hurried home - I can remember that clearly. I remember every detail about that night. I clung to it so hard... in the beginning I thought of nothing else. And so I remember this, when so many pleasant memories have faded away completely..."**

**She sighed, and began whispering again. "Yes, I was worrying about the weather... I didn't want to have to move the wedding indoors...**

"…And…" Rosalie seemed to be barely holding it together at this point.

"Rosalie," I said gently, trying to figure out how to best comfort her.

"No, Bella, I want to," she said with new strength in her voice. "I want to tell you my story."

I nodded.

**"…I was a few streets from my house when I heard them. A cluster of men under a broken streetlamp, laughing too loud. Drunk. I wished I'd called my father to escort me home, but the way was so short, it seemed silly. And then he called my name.**

**" 'Rose!' he yelled, and the others laughed stupidly.**

**"I hadn't realized the drunks were so well dressed. It was Royce and some of his friends, sons of other rich men.**

**" 'Here's my Rose!' Royce shouted, laughing with then, sounding just as stupid. 'You're late. We're cold, you've kept us waiting so long.' "**

**"I'd never seen him drunk before. A toast, now and then, at a party. He'd told me he didn't like champagne. I hadn't realized that he preferred something much stronger.**

**"He had a new friend - the friend of a friend, come up from Atlanta. **

"I won't make you listen to the details - I'm sure you've heard the gist of it from... someone." She was clearly avoiving saying his name to aviod paining me. I was grateful for that - it was a nice gesture, but unnecessary. I heard his name so often from Chris when he was asking questions that I wasn't immune to the pain, but used to it, at least. It no longer caught me by surprise - I expected it.

I nodded. "You don't have to say any more - I know this is painful."

She gave me a small smile, appreciating no having to tell the most horrific part of her story.

Roslaie got up, handing Chris back to me, still sleeping.

"And Bella?" Rosalie stopped just before the doorway.

"Yes?"

When she spoke again, her voice had a warmth in it that had never been present before around me. "Call me Rose."

* * *

A/N: That felt like the right place to stop, so that scene where Bella and Rose discover the stuff Edward hid in the floorboards will come next chapter. I'm sorry again about my sporatic updates - computer issues galore, but that's no excuse. I'll try not to take a month next time - that's horrible, and I know I absolutely HATE it when other authors do that. I'll try harder. Hope you enjoyed that!

~chattgirl4


	9. Chapter 9 FOR REAL

A/N: This chapter is for **Samantha Rice** in particular – I wasn't planning on writing this chapter for a few days, but seeing your review made it impossible for me to put this off any longer! I hope it lives up to your expectations.

Chapter 9…

The next morning, I let Rose and Emmett in while I was making breakfast for Chris and Charlie.

"Hi, Bella," Rose said quietly with a small smile.

"Hi, Rose," I answered. Her smile became more pronounced as I said 'Rose.'

"Are Charlie and Chris awake?" Emmett asked, in an unusually quiet voice. From the look Rose was giving him, they'd had a 'discussion' about volume control before they came over.

"Yes," I laughed. "Actually, they're upstairs in my old room – male bonding time and all."

"Awesome!" Emmett enthused, not longer quiet. "Hey Bella!" He gave me a big bear hug and then raced up the stairs. A second later, I heard him say, "Chris! How've you been, buddy?! Hey Charlie."

Rose and I chuckled for a moment at his excitement.

"Do you want any help?" Rose asked.

"That'd be great."

Rose and I worked in the kitchen comfortably until the food was ready.

"Dad, Chris! Breakfast!" I called up the stairs.

There was a chorus of 'Okay, Mom' and 'Sure, Bells' from Chris and Charlie respectively.

Chris made a little face before eating, but I'd been feeding him human food for long enough now that he endured it without a verbal complaint.

Later, Rose and I went upstairs to clean up my old room – boys are messy, what can I say?

As we walked in, I heard the slightest difference in the sound the floorboards made, almost like one was hollow.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Rose.

"Hmmm?" She sounded distracted.

"The floorboards here sound hollow."

"Were they always that way?"

"I don't think so, but maybe I just couldn't hear it when I was human."

"Do you want to check anyway? We can always fix the floor later."

"Yeah," I nodded. I leaned down and traced my fingernails along the grooves with one hand, and with the other I gently tapped on the wood. Definitely hollow. Using inhuman speed and strength, I pried a section off from the rest of the floor. Inside was a medium-sized box.

"It doesn't look like it's been there long," Rose commented.

Slowly, as if afraid of what the contents might be, slowly I lifted the lid and set it off to the side.

"_Oh my God_," I gasped out. Inside were the vouchers from Carlisle and Esme, the CD with my lullaby and the pictures of Edward. Everything he took when he left.

**A/N: **It felt like the right place to end the chapter, so I'm sorry it's kind of short. Next, I have a BIG question for you, and I can't update again until I know the answer, OK?? **Should Chris' power extend to Rosalie and Emmett?**_**And because of his power, should Rosalie and Emmett be able to have a kid??**_**? Or should that not be possible because it would be too different from the Twilight Saga? **I'm asking because I'm not sure if the fundamental change in Rose's personality and overall outlook on her existence because she would finally get her 'happily ever after' would be too strange compared to the actual book series, and I want this story to feel like it could actually happen in the universe that Stephenie Meyer created. _**LET ME KNOW!!!**_


	10. Chapter 10 FOR REAL

A/N: Thanks again to Samantha Rice, I figured out how I wanted this chapter to start, and it just snowballed from there into what it is now. I really appreciate all reviews, and this chapter is proof that feedback really can help me write the story faster!

***Previously in **Twist**:

Slowly, as if afraid of what the contents might be, slowly I lifted the lid and set it off to the side.

"_Oh my God_," I gasped out. Inside were the vouchers from Carlisle and Esme, the CD with my lullaby and the pictures of Edward. Everything he took when he left.

**Chapter 10: **

I sank down to the floor slowly, as if my vampire legs were slowly giving out, no longer in possession of the strength required to hold up my body.

Several times, the contents of the box nearly slipped out of my grasp, and I'd had only barely enough time to tighten my grip again.

This shouldn't happen – my inhuman body should not be failing me.

And yet, it seemed that it was. In that moment, I felt horribly and heartbreakingly fragile, as if even a breath would blow me away.

And then the moment was gone.

"Is that…" Rose trailed off, shock apparent in her voice.

I nodded, lifting each object for closer inspection, as if through closer examination I would prove that they were fakes, that the objects in my hands were figments of my ever-active imagination.

They were not.

I felt angry – how _dare_ he do this to me?

I felt the old grief return as strong as it was in the beginning, no longer the dull ache that I had grown used to, and was able bear.

I let out a soft sob, though of course no tears would flow down my face.

Rose leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry, Bella," she whispered.

…What was she sorry for? Sorry that her brother had left? Or sorry that he'd left just enough of himself behind to torment me? Perhaps for both.

I pulled myself together as I heard Chris start towards the stairs. In the second it had taken him to arrive in my doorway, I'd stood up and smoothed my hair. I didn't try to protect him from the mix of shock, anger, grief, and twisted sense of joy that were present on my face – always the open book… He was wise beyond his short few months, and he could handle knowing that his mother was overwhelmed with something. Hell, he'd figure it out anyway, but it was better without the attempt at deception. I'd promised myself a long time ago that I'd keep no secrets from him.

"Momma, what's wrong?" he asked me, concern shining from every pore on his small face.

"I just found some things that I'd thought I'd lost a long time ago… Tell you about it tonight?" I asked, hopeful. I wasn't ready to deal with my emotions just yet. I just needed some time.

Which was obvious on my face, it seemed, as Chris searching it and found whatever he was looking for. "Sure, Momma." He turned, and then with one last look at me, he bounded down the stairs and into Emmett's waiting arms. Rose and I could hear an 'Umph!' as Chris purposely landed a little harder than Emmett was expecting. I laughed quietly, rolling my eyes. Chris always brought a smile to my face, no matter what mood I was in.

I sighed, thinking about the contents of that box again.

Glancing back at them now, I decided to see if the CD still played. Chris would enjoy hearing his father play. I knew that even though he didn't say it, he wished he had a real connection to him, and it bothered him that he didn't. Hopefully the music would at least start the construction on the bridge.

Suddenly, something occurred to me that I'd never really considered before – only in passing…

I was going to find Edward.

A/N: And that, my lovely readers, end chapter 10. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I really hope that you take the time to review it. Instead of offering you virtual cookies like some authors do (although I get a kick out of that), I'll offer you this instead: I will send you a Private Message with a sneak peak of the next chapter!

~chattgirl4


	11. Alice

I sighed. So far our efforts to find Edward had gotten us nowhere.

"So when was the last time you talked to him?" I asked Rose, trying my best to keep the frustration out of my voice.

"A few months ago. Not longer after we left, actually. And I wasn't the one that talked to him, it was Alice. I –"

I cut Rose off after a sudden wave of inspiration. "Alice!"

What I had realized moments ago Rose realized then, too. "Let's give her a call. She'll know where he is. I'll be surprised if she hasn't called him already to tell him to come here."

Rose pulled out her cell phone and scrolled down through the contact list. She pressed 'Send.'

We waited anxiously as the call connected, and then as it rang. We didn't have to wait long.

"Rose!" Alice exclaimed, annoyance filling her voice. Nostalgia filled me at the sound – it was just as crisp and clear as always, carrying a tinkling lilt that would have brought tears to my eyes had I been human. "What-"

"Alice, we need your help," Rose cut her off.

"What it is? I didn't see anything. Are you-"

"Just listen, Alice."

The other side of the line was silent except for quiet breathing.

"Where is Edward?" Rose asked, getting right to business.

"What? How- never mind. South America. Why?"

I held my hand out for the phone. Rose gave it to me. After a few moments, I hesitantly said, "Alice?"

She was once again silent. "Is that…" she trailed off. "Bella?"

"…Yes?"

"Bella! Is it really you? You sound different."

"Yeah. Different… Umm… Do you think you could come down to Forks?"

"Of course. I'm on my way." She sounded much happier than when she had first answered the phone.

"See you soon?"

"As soon as inhumanly possible." And with her little tinkling laugh, she hung up. For half a second I could hear a car door slam, followed by an engine starting. Alice was on her way.

A/N: So, as you can see, the Cullens are slowly but surely finding their way back to each other. I know this was a short chapter, but I feel it served its purpose.


	12. New Arrivals

Chapter 12

…

Chris was sleeping when Alice arrived with Jasper in tow.

There was a hesitant knock on the door, and Rose flew over to answer it. On the other side were Alice and Jasper – Alice looking ecstatic and just as beautiful as always, and Jasper looking cautious. It didn't look like he was breathing, either.

"Alice," I breathed. Her eyes snapped onto me, and she squealed.

"Bella!"

She ran over to me and gave me a careful hug. "Alice, we need to talk."

She warily took a step back, her eyes glued to the floor. "I know," she whispered. "Bella, I'm so sorry I left. I mean, I know Edward told us not to contact you but I shouldn't have listened! I understand that you're mad at me, and –"

"Alice," I interrupted her. "I'm not mad."

She glanced over at Jasper. He nodded.

"…Alright. So what do we need to talk about?"

I took a deep breath. "This." And with that, I let Chris' unique power 'loosen' and the vampire to shine through. Alice gasped.

"Bella… What just happened?"

"Well, Alice. I'm sort of a vampire."

"Yeah… I noticed. But how did you _do_ that?"

"What? …oh! You mean look human?"

Alice nodded.

"…We have a lot of catching up to do."

We sat down on the couch and talked for hours, and I explained everything that had happened since she left. I explained as best I could Chris' power (what I understood of it, anyway), and when I was done, she had only one question for me.

"So when do I get to meet my nephew?"

A/N: Sorry for the short chapters =( (it annoys me, too). Review with your thoughts on the story (constructive criticism) and once I have 7 GOOD reviews I will update with the next chapter.

~chattgirl4


	13. Explanations EDITED

"_So when do I get to meet my nephew?"_

Chapter 13 – EDITED

…

I rolled my eyes at her impatience, even though I was thrilled to have her back. Same old Alice – the thought was comforting.

"When he wakes up," I answered.

Alice sighed, but nodded. Clearly, she didn't want to put her excitement on hold.

Rose came over to sit on the couch with us. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Alice cut her off, saying, "Yes! Great idea, Rose! Jasper, would you toss Rose her cell?"

"Wait, what?" I asked, confused.

Rose smiled as she explained. "Alice just saw that I was about to ask you if you wanted to try calling Edward while we wait for Chris to wake up."

"And," Alice added, "you agree, but want Rose make the call."

I shook my head at her, having forgot the magnitude of the effect having a psychic around had. I gestured for Rose to make the call and settled back into the couch, waiting.

Rose dialed. It rang once, then went straight to voicemail. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it, in shock, it seemed.

"He ignored me!" she exclaimed, disbelief coloring her tone.

We all sat there for a moment, processing.

"Call again. Eventually he'll answer, if only to get you to stop calling. He just hasn't decided how long to wait to give in. I see anything from fifteen minutes to three days. He doesn't want to be disturbed," Alice said quietly.

Rose nodded and pressed 'Redial.'

We sat there for hours, making no progress. He never answered. Finally, I heard Chris wake up and then bound down the stairs, jumping straight into my arms.

"Mama, what's for breakfast?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Since when are _you_ excited for human food?"

"…Who said that was what I was talking about?"

Alice's tinkling laugh sounded through the room at that, and quickly attracted Chris' attention.

"Chris, this is Alice."

His face broke into a blinding smile and he jumped across the couch and into her arms.

"I've heard so much about you!" he exclaimed.

I could see how happy it made him to have family around, and get to know in person the people I had talked about all his life. But thinking about that made the gaps in the group even more pronounced.

I leaned over to Rose and spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Alice and Chris' moment.

"Rose, can I use your phone?"

She wordlessly got it out and handed it to me. The she raised her eyebrows in question.

"Carlisle," was all I said.

A/N: I felt uneasy with how the story had played out so far, so I re-read some recent chapters and suddenly I just HAD to redo this chapter - it wasn't really complete yet. So this was it, the edited version of chapter 13. I hope you enjoyed it!  
As always, PLEASE REVIEW. It truly does help me write faster (reiews motivate me to get chapters out as fast as I possibly can).  
~chattgirl4


	14. Chapter 14 FOR REAL

Chapter 14

I closed the phone after a short conversation with Carlisle, in a much better mood than before the call.

"So?" Emmett asked.

"Carlisle and Esme are on their way – they'll be here by 8 AM tomorrow. Alice?" I asked, glancing her way.

She closed her eyes for a second, then beamed at me. "Rainy all night, then overcast tomorrow until just before dusk, with the sun making a brief appearance for a beautiful sunset at 6:31."

"Perfect," I smiled.

Everything happened according to Alice's schedule (of course), and Carlisle and Esme arrived just as Chris was sitting down for breakfast at seven. They knocked on the door and Rose went to let them in. As I was putting some pancakes on Chris' plate, I could hear the sounds of reunion. "I missed you so much!" came from Rose, and a "We missed you all, too," came from Esme, and a high-pitched squeal was emitted from Alice. I could hear Emmett, Carlisle, and Jasper doing their man-hug thing, and I rolled my eyes. Men.

"Bella?" Esme called.

"In the kitchen," I said. I could hear her whisk into the room. I turned around just in time to return her tight hug. "It's so good to see you again," I whispered, my voice catching slightly with emotion.

We stood like that for a few moments longer, until Chris asked, "Are you Grandma Esme?"

We broke apart and Esme, although she'd already been told of Chris, gasped quietly. I'm sure that if she could still cry, she would have at him calling her 'Grandma'.

"Yes," she nodded.

Sometime during that exchange, Carlisle and the boys had come into the room. Emmett was standing next to Rose with his arms wrapped around her. Jasper, who would he doing the same with Alice had she not been flitting around the room, was leaning casually against the far wall instead, watching.

Alice suddenly ceased all motion and was as still as a statue, then she quietly made her way over to Rose and whispered, "Rose, if you call Edward again now, there's a forty percent chance he'll pick up. If you keep trying I am one hundred percent certain he'll answer within four hours – his patience is wearing thin." At this, Rose nodded and whipped her phone out.

But, it appeared, Alice wasn't done. "The problem this time won't be with whether or not he'll answer; the problem is that he's determined to speak with you as briefly as possible so you'll have only seconds to get his attention."

Rose nodded again and dialed, looking determined.

Carlisle stepped forward from his spot just inside the doorway and saw Chris for the first time. "Astounding," he breathed.

His voice resonated softly against the walls, and drew Chris' attention.

"And you're Grandpa Carlisle?" he asked.

Carlisle smiled and nodded.

After the initial astonishment of the meeting, Chris settled in Esme's lap, with Carlisle at their side. They had many more stories about Edward than I could possibly dream of having, and Chris was taking advantage of that. His questions were endless.

Eventually I sat down next to Carlisle on the edge of the couch. He turned toward me and began his own line of questioning.

We sat there for hours, long after Chris fell asleep in Esme's lap, just talking. Mostly, he had questions about my experience changing, and about Chris – especially his power.

In the back of my mind I heard ringing coming Rose's phone – Edward had yet to answer, but it was nearing the end of the fourth hour, and Alice hadn't renounced her previous assertion that he would, in fact, answer. I say I was aware of this in the back of my mind because, over the course of the hours, I had gotten used to the ringing, and tuned it out. It was brought to my attention only when it stopped, which meant Edward had finally answered.

"Edward!" Rose exclaimed. Carlisle and I paused our conversation and looked up at Rose.

"What do you want, Rosalie?" His voice was harsh and cold, but hearing it for the first time on so long made me warm all over, at the same time as it knocked the breath out of me. A thousand different emotions coursed through me.

Rose hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer.

Alice pointed at me grandly, trying to get Rose to speak up before he hung up, no doubt.

"…It's Bella." Rose began.

Began, but never finished, because at that there was a brief silence, and then a 'click,' and the line went dead. He hung up!

A/N: Yes, I know, I am horrible for stopping the chapter there. It's just cruel of me to leave off with a cliffy and all, but really – would you rather I left of there or kept writing and held this chapter hostage for another week?

~chattgirl4


	15. Conversations

Chapter 15

"_Edward!" Rose exclaimed. Carlisle and I paused our conversation and looked up at Rose. _

"_What do you want, Rosalie?" His voice was harsh and cold, but hearing it for the first time on so long made me warm all over, at the same time as it knocked the breath out of me. A thousand different emotions coursed through me._

_Rose hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer._

_Alice pointed at me grandly, trying to get Rose to speak up before he hung up, no doubt._

"…_It's Bella." Rose began._

_Began, but never finished, because at that there was a brief silence, and then a 'click,' and the line went dead. He hung up!_

Rose and I stared at each other in shock.

"What-" I started.

"Shhh," Alice interrupted, holding her hand up while her face went blank. After a few moments, her vision ended and she smiled at us. "He's coming here."

Alice hadn't told us when he would arrive, so everyone went back to their previous activities. Carlisle and I continued our conversation, Jasper and Emmett stood beside their women, and Rose and Alice sat next to Esme and quietly listened to our exchange.

"And you awoke alone?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, no," I said. "Chris was there the whole time."

"But who would bite you and leave Chris alone?" Carlisle seemed stumped.

"No one, I would think. But a vampire didn't bite me – not a full one, anyway. Chris did."

"…He's venomous?"

"So it seems."

"Fascinating," he breathed.

I nodded, glancing over at Esme, who had gasped at my announcement that Chris was the one who changed me (Rose had already heard the story, and I guessed that Alice had already seen it).

"When did he bite you?" Esme asked quietly.

"Right after he was born."

"If you don't mind my asking," Carlisle began, "was it a traditional birth?"

"Carlisle," Esme cautioned.

"No, it's fine. I don't mind," I reassured her. This wasn't difficult for me to talk about, especially after having explained this to Charlie and Rose. I turned back to Carlisle. "I don't think there was much traditional about it – he… how to explain this?" I asked myself. "… He sort of ripped – or kicked, I'm not really sure – my body from the inside, out through my stomach."

This time Esme's gasp was not quiet. "How terrible for you," she whispered.

I nodded. "And like I said, after he was born, he bit me. I don't know if it was on purpose, or he was just thirsty." I shrugged.

"What happened after that?" Esme asked.

"I'm pretty sure he curled up by my side and fell asleep."

"And the change?" Carlisle asked.

"…I don't know that I realized at first what was happening. I was bewildered by the pain from the birth. But I just knew I shouldn't scream – somehow I was aware enough to realize that my child shouldn't have to hear that."

Rose hadn't heard that part until now. "How did you stand it?" she asked, shocked.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I just knew I had to, and so I did."

"Do you know how long the change took?" Carlisle asked.

"I think it was a little over two days."

"Quick," Carlisle commented.

"Yes. I have a theory about that."

He motioned that I should proceed.

"You see, after the birth, I lost a lot of blood. I went in and out of consciousness, but I was always aware of the pain. Slowly, the pain was replaced with numbness. I think I was bleeding out, and when Chris bit me I had very little blood left. Would that speed up the change?" I asked.

"Well, the ratio between blood and venom is the basis for the speed of the change. The more venom, the faster the change. Usually, the potency of the venom doesn't come in to play – all vampires have more or less the same… strength, if you will, to their venom. But in this case, I think no matter the strength or amount of venom, you're right."

I nodded thoughtfully.

We continued like this four hours. At some point in time, Chris woke up, and Rose offered to get him.

After that we discussed less gory, but equally interesting, topics – such as Chris' power.

"How does that work?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not really sure. I don't know if he is able to actually make vampires human again, or if it's just an illusion."

"But you eat food," Rose pointed out.

"Are there any restrictions? Things you can't do that humans can?"

"I don't know. I always wondered if I could sleep, and dream, again. But I wasn't willing to put Chris in danger like that, especially when we were on our own in Seattle…"

"But now that we're here, are you interested in trying?" Rose asked.

"…I don't know. I mean, I'm so curious about it, but at the same time, even though I know you're here and now is probably the safest time for me to try it, part of me is afraid to be unaware like that."

Carlisle nodded. "Rose said you can eat food. Are there any limitations on that?"

"Yes – I found that out the hard way in Seattle. I can eat food while Chris' power is in effect, but I have to stay like that until the food processes through my body. If I let it drop before that, my body reacts to the food that same way any vampire's would."

"Let it drop? You mean you can control it for yourself?"

I nodded. "I'm sure why, because I'm definitely certain that this is Chris' power, not mine."

"…Do you have a power?"

"I don't think so. At this point I'm not even sure that my mind would still be silent to Edward."

"It is."

A/N: *gasp!* I wonder who that is! Luck for you, I'm in the mood to keep writing, so when I post this, the next chapter will either be nearly done, or I'll post it when I post this one. Show me the love!

~chattgirl4


	16. Confrontations

A/N: This chapter goes out to everyone who's ever left me a review. I would like to thank **Aurora C.**, **PachO'shea**, , **Kitty Bella Lemondove**, **pmk kelly**, and **HOLY SHIT I'M ON FIRE** for their enthusiastic reviews – those are always fun to read. **Frenchsong87**and** VanTwilight** – you were right on with your thought processes. Kudos! I would also like to mention **TeamEmmette** and **OLYPICOVEN**, whose reviews are always a breath of fresh air just when I need it – THANKS SO MUCH! **Samantha Rice** – I keep looking for your awesome reviews in my inbox. Are you still reading this story? I really hope so – reviews like yours are my favorites.  
Anyway, you guys are great – I don't know if this story would still be going strong if some of you didn't take the time to give me some encouragement and constructive criticism. =D  
Also, I just noticed that **amytrig** favorited 'Twist' and then 'Dartmouth' – I always think it's so cool to read a story by an author and then look for more of their work. So thank you – it means a lot!  
And now, here's the chapter!  
~chattgirl4

Chapter 16

_Carlisle nodded. "Rose said you can eat food. Are there any limitations on that?"_

"_Yes – I found that out the hard way in Seattle. I can eat food while Chris' power is in effect, but I have to stay like that until the food processes through my body. If I let it drop before that, my body reacts to the food that same way any vampire's would."_

"_Let it drop? You mean you can control it for yourself?" _

_I nodded. "I'm not sure why, because I'm definitely certain that this is Chris' power, not mine."_

"…_Do you have a power?"_

"_I don't think so. At this point I'm not even sure that my mind would still be silent to Edward."_

"_It is."_

I looked up and gasped, a million different emotions coursing through me. _Edward_. He was here.

"Edward," I breathed.

Chris' head whipped around to look at his father.

"What's going on?" Edward asked quietly. He was staring at my face intently.

I took a deep breath, trying to rid myself of the onslaught of emotion from when Edward and appeared. "We need to talk," I said.

He nodded, but made no move to approach me. That hurt. The hole in my chest threatened to rip open again, but I held it at bay. This wasn't about me anymore; Chris deserved to know his family – all of his family.

I saw Jasper flinch out of the corner of my eye. I supposed all the emotion in the room was becoming too much for him.

"Jasper, how about you and Emmett take Chris hunting?" I suggested.

"Sure," Emmett said. "Let's go bro. C'mon squirt."

At that, Chris made a face at his uncle and jumped down from Rose's arms. The movement drew Edward's attention away from me for a moment, his eyes widening and jaw dropping slightly.

"Yes," he said slowly. "We do need to talk."

Emmett, Jasper, and Chris quietly left. Jasper threw me a grateful glance full of sympathy. I nodded to him, and then they were out the front door. I could hear Chris' laughter slowly fading away into the distance, probably at something Emmett had done.

I smiled a little at that.

Edward cautiously crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the recliner across from me.

We stared at each other in silence for a length of time.

I finally gave in and broke the silence first. "So…"

He exhaled slowly. "So…" he repeated.

"I'm sure we have a lot of questions for each other," I said.

He nodded. "Ladies first."

I sifted through questions in my head, looking for the easiest one to start with. "Where have you been?"

I wasn't trying to accuse him of anything. I was legitimately curious at this point.

He looked up at me through his lashes. "Pass," he said.

"But that's the easiest one!" I exclaimed. This conversation reminded me of the one we'd had at what seemed like a lifetime ago, in Port Angeles.

"Pass," he repeated.

I huffed in annoyance, but moved on. I wasn't looking to start an argument.

"Why did you hang up on Rose?"

"If it's any consolation, it wasn't on purpose."

"How does a vampire hang up on someone _on accident_?" I was having a hard time believing his story.

"…I lost control – I actually crushed the phone. Once I realized what I'd done, I immediately rushed up here to find out what Rosalie was going to say."

"You… crushed your phone? Why?"

"I thought it was my turn to ask a question." He seemed unwilling to disclose any more information at the moment.

Too bad. The old Bella would have let it go for a while, but I had a child now. A child who deserved answers as to why his father was absent in his life, so Edward was not going to get off so easily.

"No," I said firmly. Edward looked at me in shock, but also as if he had anticipated this reaction; clearly, this was not what he was expecting, but on some level he knew it was coming. It was an interesting combination. "No, it's not your turn. You don't get a turn until my questions are answered. No more 'passes.'"

"Does that apply to the first question?" he asked quietly.

"No. I said it was the easiest for a reason – I already knew you were in Rio. Alice told me."

Edward sighed and nodded. "What are your other questions?"

Oh, where to begin?

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter. Truthfully, **I need to think of the ****questions Bella needs to ask Edward****. So, **_**if you have any ideas about that**_**, it'll get the next chapter out a lot **_**faster**_**.** I have a basic outline; I just need to fill in the details.

~chattgirl4


	17. Chapter 17 SNEAK PEAK

Chapter 17 SNEAK PEAK

"I made a mistake - I-"

"Which – sleeping with me or leaving after?" The words bubbled out of me before I could stop them, sounding harsh and cutting. Edward flinched, but said nothing. "Or was it both?" I asked quietly.

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back writing again! This little tidbit should be around the middle of chapter 17 (I haven't named the chapter yet...), but I'm not 100% sure since I haven't quite finished writing it yet. Hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.  
As always, feel free to give suggestions about what you'd like to happen in the story, and I'll see if it'll fit in with what I have planned for the plot. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE continue leaving questions for Bella (or Edward or anyone else) to ask, since that's been the hardest part in trying to write this chapter.

~chattgirl4


	18. Reasonings Ch 17

Reasonings

A/N: ATTENTION! I have made a slight alteration to the wording at the end of the previous chapter. I included it at the top of this chapter as a 'refresher' of sorts, because I know it's been a looooong time since I've updated. =\ (Sorry about that.)  
ALSO – **Samantha Rice **had an AWESOME suggestion about a question I hadn't even thought of (Edward should ask what his son is like), and I admit I'm a little embarrassed about the fact that it had never occurred to me... This is why I LOVE your brilliant brain, **Samantha Rice**! Thank you!  
**rchllve** – you're completely right about 'less is more.' Your review helped me turn this chapter into what it is now, and steered me in a whole new direction and way of looking at things. You're amazing – THANKS! Also, there's a good chance that I'll be using your "Is there really  
going to be an acceptable answer that's going to make everything roses and  
sunshine for [sleeping with me] then leaving?" because I absolutely LOVED it! Just sayin'…

* * *

"_You… crushed your phone? Why?"_

"_I thought it was my turn to ask a question." He seemed unwilling to disclose any more information at the moment. _

_Old Bella would have let it go for a while, but New Bella had a child now. A child who deserved answers as to why his father was absent in his life, so Edward was not going to get off quite so easily._

"_No," I said firmly. Edward looked at me in shock, but also as if he had anticipated this reaction; clearly, this was not what he was hoping for, but on some level he knew it was coming. It was an interesting combination. "It's not your turn. You don't get a turn until I get answers. No more 'passes.'"_

"_Does that apply to the first question?" he asked quietly._

"_No. I said it was the easiest for a reason – I already knew you were in Rio. Alice told me."_

_Edward sighed and nodded. "What are your other questions?"_

_Oh, where to begin?_

* * *

"What do I not have questions about?" I countered with. I sighed. "Instead of me asking and waiting until you deign to answer, how about you explain yourself? Explain what _you_ think needs explaining, and we'll go from there."

Edward shifted uncomfortably. "…How can I even begin to explain…" He seemed to be asking this of himself, not of me and so I said nothing.

He looked up at me. "Where do you want me to start?" He slouched in his chair – I'd never seen him look less sure of himself.

I sighed. "Start with my birthday party."

Edward was lost in thought for a moment. "I was so…distraught with the realization of the danger you faced, just by being around me. Oh, I knew I was dangerous – I never doubted that – and I knew my world was, too. But somehow, I never considered my family to be more dangerous than myself. You're my singer, not any of theirs, so obviously I posed the greatest threat. I had never considered a situation in which temptation was greater than usual. It was stupid of me, to ignore even for one second that eventually your blood would be spilled in front of one or more of us. I have degrees in science; I am no stranger to the Law of Averages. Eventually, something was bound to happen.

"But the thought never entered my mind. It was a grave error on my part, one that I deeply regret. My stupidity almost cost you your life. I-"

"Let's get one thing straight before you go on," I interrupted. "You did _not_ almost cost me my life, and neither did your so-called 'stupidity.' I made a decision, and never for one minute was I unprepared to live with the consequences. I knew what could happen. I just decided it was worth the risk."

"Was it?" Edward's melancholy was clear in his voice.

"Yes," I answered firmly.

Edward looked unconvinced, but moved on. "After the party, when I took you home and you asked me… you wanted something I had never allowed myself to want for us. And I planned to stop, before things went too far but…"

"You couldn't," I whispered.

Edward nodded. "I found myself unable to resist; I lost that bit of control, and tried desperately to hang on to the rest."

"We'll get back to the control part in a minute. Right now I'm more concerned about why you _left._ Why put yourself up against temptation like that just to leave?"

"I made a mistake – I-"

"Which – sleeping with me or leaving after?" The words bubbled out of me before I could stop them, sounding harsh and cutting. Edward flinched, but said nothing. "Or was it both?" I asked quietly.

"No! That's not what I meant. I meant that I shouldn't have done something so dangerous when I knew what a tenuous hold I had on my control. I put you in even more danger than you'd already been in because of my own selfishness. No matter what I did, I was putting you in danger, and it was killing me. The harder I tried to keep you safe, the more perilous the balance became, and I knew that any moment something would tip the scales, and it wouldn't be in our favor. It was only a matter of time before something took you from me, from this world, and it might even have turned out to be me. If for one second I wasn't strong enough, or fast enough, or the temptation became too great… I was trying to keep you safe." The words that had spilled out of him, almost tripping over themselves in their haste, slowly trickled to stop with that last confession.

"And look at me now," my lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "See how well that worked out?" I laughed, although there was nothing remotely funny about our situation.

"I am so sorry, Bella," Edward had a tortured look on his face. "I never wanted this life for you."

"I know. But did you ever stop to think that maybe I _did_ want this life?"

"Bella, we talked about this-"

"No, we didn't. I brought it up and you made a unilateral decision. You wouldn't even consider it."

"I wanted better for you than this sham of an existence – can't you see that I did what I did because I love you?" His words sounded desperate now.

"Love or loved?" I asked quietly.

"Love," he whispered. "Always 'love.'"

* * *

A/N: I don't usually do this (I know, such a cliché, but it's true!), but there's this AMAZING story I've been reading, and I feel the need to share it with you. It's called 'The Cullen Campaign,' and it's by **belladonna1472**. It's SOO good. It's not finished yet, but it seems to be wrapping up (insert sad face here), meaning there's a good chunk of quality reading time in your future if you so choose…  
As you know by now, I absolutely LOVE hearing from you, so please review. Any suggestions, ideas, or other forms of input are ALWAYS read and considered, and when possible, included in the story.

IMPORTANT! **I am looking for a beta**, because trying to edit this as I go seriously slows me down. I'm a pretty good speller, and I'm good at proof-reading other people's work (just not so much my own…). I would be happy to beta in exchange for being beta-ed (quid pro quo and all that). In fact, that'd be preferable, because when I beta-ed a story for **roserage**, I was much more actively involved in FanFiction and found myself more motivated to write. SO, if anyone's interested, let me know. Co-beta-ing is definitely an option as well, just FYI.

~chattgirl4


	19. Something Given

**A/N:** Okay, so I know it's been FOREVER since I last updated (...is it just me or was that very 'Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It's been [time] since my last confession...' Whoa... ANYWAY, moving on) and I'm REALLY SORRY. (I'm in the middle of a move, and I know that's a poor excuse, but it's all I've got.) I'll try to be better. So, here's what I have so far. It's not really how I wanted Chapter 18 to go or leave off, but I felt it was better to post what little I have than nothing at all... Without further ado, here it is:

Chapter 18 - Something Given

* * *

**Recap of last chapter:**

_"I am so sorry, Bella." Edward had a tortured look on his face. "I never wanted this life for you."_

_"I know. But did you ever stop to think that maybe I did want this life?"_

_"Bella, we talked about this-"_

_"No, we didn't. I brought it up and you made a unilateral decision. You wouldn't even consider it."_

_"I wanted better for you than this sham of an existence – can't you see that I did what I did because I love you?" His words sounded desperate now._

_"Love or loved?" I asked quietly._

_"Love," he whispered. "Always 'love.'"_

* * *

The expression on his face was so tender I felt I would cry if I hadn't let Chris's power 'drop.'

I took a jagged breath, lowering my eyes to the floor as I tried to come to grips with my reaction to his words.

…What _did_ I feel? How does one take the 'I love you so that's why I left you' line? Because that's what it was – a line, an excuse. I felt… confused. How does that make sense?

All of a sudden, I was upset – no, more than upset, I was furious. How dare he? What gave him the right to come here and say he'd always loved me, and still did? And what did he want now? To pretend like it had never happened, and everything was alright?

And then the fear settled in - was there a chance that even though he was telling me this, he still thought he was right? That he would still leave? I didn't know if I could handle that, seeing him only to lose him again. That hole in my heart, the one I thought had… not _healed_, but mended some… throbbed with a sudden viciousness that almost crippled me.

"So what now?" I asked, taking my best shot at 'stoic'. I looked up and straight into his eyes. Suddenly, I flashed back and all I could see were those same hard, cold eyes that had haunted my sleepless nights all these months.

My vision cleared, and now I realized that they weren't the same – his eyes… not exactly hard - _tight_, but not cold.

"I beg your pardon?" He seemed confused, and wary of the direction this conversation had taken.

"Do you leave again?" The words burned my lips as they left my mouth. "Or stay?" I asked, "Get to know your son? Because if you're leaving, I'd prefer that you didn't introduce yourself to Chris." At this point, the hole in my chest felt as raw and new as the day it had been made.

Edward looked at a loss for words, starting to open his mouth and speak only to close it again. Finally, "Of course I won't go. I shouldn't have left." His words planted a tiny seed of hope within me, and I tried desperately to squash it myself before he did the deed for me – it would hurt more if he did it.

"And now we've reached the crux of the matter," I laughed with mirth.

"Please, let me explain -," he began, but it was pointless.

"Stop." I help up my hand, as if it could physically stop the vibrations of sound that carried the words. "Is there really any explanation that's good enough? Is there really anything you can say that would negate the fact that you slept with me and then left?"

Quietly, he said, "I… _hope _that someday I can prove to you my… complete and utter idiocy, and you will know how deeply I regret my mistake. But I also know that it is an absurd wish, this hope of mine. Because you're right – it will never be enough. Nothing I ever do for the rest of eternity will be enough. I-"

And with that, I knew that his regret was real, and that he was right. We both were. Nothing would be enough to make up for our lost time, and Chris's, or my pain. You can't rewind the hands of Time and undo what's been done; the past is the past, and you can't live in it.

"I forgive you," I whispered.

He looked up, stunned into silence. I was stunned, too. Everything stopped – his breathing, mine, the world stood still for that one moment. And then: "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"No," I agreed. "You don't. But forgiveness isn't dependent on the worthiness of the recipient. It's a gift, and I give you mine."

* * *

**A/N:** ...What do you think? Too cheesy? Fluffy? Angst-y? Truthfully, it's been a WHILE since I last sat down and tried to write, so I'm a little rusty. =/ As always, tell me what you think (I beg of you!) and if you have any ideas feel free to include them - I try to either answer them via PM or in an Author's Note in the next chapter I publish, and I read every single one (and some more than once!). Reviews make my day, so seriously - click the green button and keep me motivated!

_**ATTENTION! **_This is the part where I thank my faithful reviewers for their input =D. **rchllve**, **twilight luv82**, and especially **Emnara1912** (your review made me laugh =D and, more importantly, WRITE!) for your amazing and motivating reviews - this chapter (as short as it is...) would not have been written without you! You guys are the best!

Also... sorry** rchllve** =/ (who by the way is my AMAZING BETA) - I probably should have sent this to you for you to beta first... We haven't talked in a while =(. Email me! Hugs!


	20. Ch 18 Addition Emmett and the Bear

**A/N:** I know this isn't technically a chapter, but I thought I'd let you see what I've been up to. I'm proud to say that I actually have a lot planned and, wait for it... _written _for next chapter! I know, shocker! It's not done yet, and there are a few holes that need to be filled in, but **rchllve** (my AMAZING beta, for those of you who didn't already know) and I have been talking and being all-around very productive (=D), so it shouldn't be too much longer. Consider this a little something to tide you over.

Chapter 18 Addition - Mini-Scene: Emmett and the Bear

* * *

**Recap of last chapter:**

_"Please, let me explain -," he began, but it was pointless._

_"Stop." I help up my hand, as if it could physically stop the vibrations of sound that carried the words. "Is there really any explanation that's good enough? Is there really anything you can say that would negate the fact that you slept with me and then left?"_

_Quietly, he said, "I… hope that someday I can prove to you my… complete and utter idiocy, and you will know how deeply I regret my mistake. But I also know that it is an absurd wish, this hope of mine. Because you're right – it will never be enough. Nothing I ever do for the rest of eternity will be enough. I-"_

_And with that, I knew that his regret was real, and that he was right. We both were. Nothing would be enough to make up for our lost time, and Chris's, or my pain. You can't rewind the hands of Time and undo what's been done; the past is the past, and you can't live in it._

_"I forgive you," I whispered._

_He looked up, stunned into silence. I was stunned, too. Everything stopped – his breathing, mine, the world stood still for that one moment. And then: "I don't deserve your forgiveness."_

_"No," I agreed. "You don't. But forgiveness isn't dependent on the worthiness of the recipient. It's a gift, and I give you mine."_

* * *

Edward and I stared at each other for a long stretch of time, not knowing what else to say.

"Thank you," He said quietly.

Then, all of a sudden, we heard Emmett's booming laugh, and then Chris' voice.

"Momma!" he called, giggling.

I got up and went to the door, opening it just in time to catch him as he bounded up into my arms.

"What, sweetie?"

"Uncle Emmett caught a bear!" he exclaimed.

I exclaimed too, albeit in a significantly different way.

"Emmett!" I yelled. "How could you do that? What's wrong with you? He could have gotten hurt!" I squeezed Chris close to me chest, kissing the top of his head. I was shaking on the inside, after-the-fact fear of what could have happened still strong within me.

"Bella, it's not like I went out to find a bear. I wouldn't do that!" I snorted, not believing him for a second. "Really, Bella," his voice was serious now. "I didn't. I was looking for a deer, and we stumbled across this little cub."

Now it was a whole other issue. "...You killed a baby?"

"What? No! I caught it, and then I let it go. It was really cute, wasn't it, Chris?"

Chris nodded enthusiastically.

I was still skeptical. I looked at Edward, silently questioning.

He nodded with a smile on his face.

"So why'd you catch it at all, if you were just going to let it go?" I asked.

Emmett was stumped for a moment. "Because it was soft?" It came out as a question.

Finally, I laughed. "Emmett, you're such a child sometimes."

He just shrugged.

Rosalie came out from her perch at the top of the stairs - how long had she been there? - and wrapped her arms around Emmett's waist. "Emmett doesn't kill the baby ones," she said fondly. "Just the ones that are itching for a fight."

"So it was cute, huh?" I looked down at Chris.

"Very," he stated seriously. "And its nose was wet."

"Like a dog's?" I asked.

"Kind of," he answered. "But... rougher." He hesitated for a moment.

"What is it?"

"Momma, can I get down now?"

"Hmmm..." I pretended to think it over. "Nope."

"But Moooom!" he complained.

I smiled widely. "You got yourself up here. You get yourself down." I tightened my grip on him while tickling him with the tips of my fingers.

"Uncle! Uncle!" he cried.

I just shook my head.

"Uncle!" And then, his eyes very clearly widened with an idea. "Uncle... Uncle Emmett!" he called.

Emmett came over. "Bella, hand the child over."

"Hah! Fat chance." I stuck my tongue out at him, which proved to be the wrong decision.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, smiling evilly.

"Umm... no?"

"I think it is."

I gulped.  
...

* * *

**A/N:** Hmmm... so, I've been thinking (scary thought, yes?) and there are two options - **I can either wait to upload Chapter 19** until it's finished, **or I can upload it in parts** (Mini-scenes) much like this one. They'll all pick up exactly where the last left off, but this way you'll get it faster. _**You tell me**_.  
Also, what do you think? Was this too much or a good balance to the heavier scene from last chapter? What do you want to happen next? I know what will, but it's always nice to hear your thoughts, and who knows... maybe you'll sway me!

Annnnnnnnnd, here it is - my thanks to my awesome reviewers! **cardgirl91** - thank you!  
**brianamg** - I put this up for you! **Twilightroxas7** - it WAS a good idea! I'm still deciding, so I'll keep you posted. Who knows? Maybe it could be a good one-shot.  
****These two reviewers MADE MY DAY: **Melissa1594** - your review gave me the warm-fuzzies! You are so nice! **Samantha Rice** - there you are! As always, your review was just... perfect. You guys both made me so happy!****  
**MaryMary123** picked up on the major point of the chapter - kudos!

~chattgirl4


	21. MiniScene: Test Me

**A/N:** Hello, there! I have another mini-scene for you.  
Also, I'm considering just uploading mini-scenes for a while (partly because I have so many already done...), and so if I do I just thought I'd warn you that they may not pick up exactly where the last left off. This is basically a chapter split into the major parts, so later (possibly when the story is completed) I'll combine them and do some more edits. I'm hoping the finished product will be more polished than how the story is now.

* * *

...

"Is it an illusion?" Edward asked.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I would think not, because I can eat food and sleep.

Surely, if it were an illusion, I wouldn't be able to tolerate the food. And sleep would still be impossible. But... how do we reconcile that with retaining my physical strength and sharper senses?" I shook my head, confused. "Carlisle?" I looked up to where he was standing.

"Well," He seemed hesitant to answer. "I would need to do some... tests."

Everyone froze, uneasy.

"I'll do it."

"What?" Edward exclaimed.

"Test me," I volunteered.

"No. That's not happening." He was adamant.

I ignored him. "Carlisle, I am a willing and viable test subject, coming to you of my own free will. Will you test me?"

He said nothing for a long moment, looking hard at Edward. Edward shook his head forcefully. Whatever Carlisle was thinking didn't please Edward, because he stormed out of the room.

Finally, Carlisle looked back at me. "Yes."

...

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, so the reason I'm publishing this bit now is that I've been having a little trouble thinking of tests for Carlisle to do on Bella... Ideas? I want to focus on things that would be typical for humans, but that I could play with the results a little. Input would be greatly appreciated. =D

~chattgirl4


	22. IMPORTANT Update

**Update:** I have some news for you guys – I'm considering putting Twist up for adoption… I've been considering a major re-working of the story for a while now, and I'm not completely sure as to where exactly I'd go. My beta, _rchllve_, and I worked on already-published chapters, just trying to polish them up a bit, a while ago, but I'm fickle and, unfortunately, what I thought I'd be pleased with no longer quite makes the cut.

Basically, I need some inspiration and feedback about what to do here, because I'm just… floundering. Help?

~chattgirl4

PS – for those of you who actually read all the way through this, here's my plan (at the moment…) for Twist: I'm still OK with the general plot line in the beginning, but I feel that there are some elements (major elements, in some cases) that need reworking in order to feel… right. For example, I don't want to change the direction of the first chapter, but I DO want to have it play out slightly differently. I have more ideas about what I want to do, so if anyone responds in either a review or PM and wants to help/has ideas/etc, I'll PM you a clearer idea of what I'm thinking. All ideas/suggestions/comments are welcome. Please, I need a little guidance here.


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